In some parts of the world, this is an invasive species. In Florida, it is well behaved. Grow on a trellis or let climb a tree. Can also be used as a , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray wo , Wildlife, Animals eat the fruits. , Habitat, Pinelands, hammocks, shell middens. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), Julia Heliconian (Dryas iulia) and Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charitonius) butte

This is a large tree best used in settings where its form can be appreciated. It is both a specimen tree and and shade tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, In some settings, the tree begins as an epiphyte and sends roots down to the ground wrapping around the host. This is interesting in natural settings , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals consume fruit and often deposit seeds high in the canopy. , Habitat, Moist-wet sites to dry sites and on shallow soils over limestone. Tropical hammocks, swamps. May be epiphytic or have aerial roots that may wrap arou , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Larval host for ruddy daggerwing (Marpesia petreus) and Antillean daggerwing (Marpesia eleuchea)

Meadow or wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray wo , Considertions, Can become weedy. , Wildlife, Attracts pollinators. , Habitat, Pine flatwoods and disturbed areas , Did You Know?, Showy flowers

Rarely grown but of good potential for a dry native wildflower garden. Wildflower garden. When not flowering, the plant is a low-growing rosette of l , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Sandhill, scrubby sandhill, disturbed sandhill, xeric roadsides in areas of sandhill soils. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts bees and other pollinators.  Does not attract many butterflies.

Wild cotton is a rare plant; it needs protection against missuses and protection against removal from natural populations. Use as a short-lived "shru , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, It is not legal to plant this plant, but the reasons are very dated. A Florida law was passed in the early 1900s banning the growing of wild cottons, , Habitat, Dry sites. Tropical hammock, coastal berm, shell mound. Disturbed area. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Larval host plant for gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) butterflies. Flowers attract bees, flies, thrips, grass hoppers,

This is one of Florida's most showy and most under-appreciated wildflowers. Look for it along disturbed roadsides in mid-late winter and early spring. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Sharp thorn-like prickles cover most of the plant. Highly toxic. , Habitat, Ruderal areas. Common on dry roadsides. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Thorns Attracts pollinators including bees, flies, and beetles.  Documented bee species include  Apis mellifera (honeybee), Dialictus

Specimen plant. Roadsides, parking lot edges, and medians. Smaller forms can make good foundation screens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Both suckers and seedlings will appear. , Wildlife, Birds eat the fruits. , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock, coastal hammock. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts bees and butterflies.

This plant is listed as Endangered in Florida where the southern limit of its range barely makes it into the state. Moist site garden though will tol , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Floodplains, moist deep woods, thickets. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Attracts bees.

Rare and listed as endangered. Please obtain this plant only from reputable native plant nurseries or friends -- do not harvest from the wild. Little , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Slope forest. On calcareous soils. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Visited by small insects including bees but the specific pollinators are apparently not known.

Pitchers (leaves) are mostly green with red coloration near the upper parts. Bog gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Savannahs, bogs, wet flatwoods, seep slopes. Benefits from fire. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Insectivorous. A number of insect groups visit the flowers but their role in pollination is unknown.

Leaves are aromatic. Groundcover for sunny, dry sites. Spreads by rooting at the nodes. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Will do poorly if over watered. Many people are allergic to its wind-borne pollen. , Habitat, Coastal uplands , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Interesting foliage Wind pollinated plant so does not attract pollinators.

While native in Florida, this species is invasive in other areas, especially the Pacific Northwest. Aquatic species with floating leaves and flowers. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Could overrun small ponds or water features. , Habitat, Aquatic. Marshes, swamps in openings, still water. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Flies, bees, and beetles have been recorded.

Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Difficult to establish because of long tap root. , Wildlife, Small mammals and birds harvest the fruit. , Habitat, Flatwoods, ruderal (pastures), scrubby flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for zebra swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) and pawpaw sphinx (Dolba hyloeus). Pollinated by flies and beetles.

The range extends from Texas to North Carolina mostly in the coastal plan and adjacent areas of sandy hills.  In Florida, the range is continuous down , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, This plant can be too prolific as the many seedlings that come up both around the plant and under bird perching sites can become problematic. Also spr , Wildlife, Seed is spread by birds. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Upland hardwood forests, upland mixed forest, secondary woods, riverine swamps, disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts bees.

They are included here because they are valuable to insects and because they are lovely and good to have in a native garden if you are lucky enough to , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Both species are hemi-parasitic (semi-parasitic) and difficult to grow without appropriate host plants. , Habitat, Open upland woods and disturbed edges. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for  black buckeye. Attracts insects.

Plant at the back of an informal wildflower or butterfly garden--it gets tall. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Moist upland hardwood forests, mixed hardwood-pine forests. Secondary woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many insects including bees and butterflies.

Leaves are glaucous and appear to be blue-green sometimes with pink-violet overtones. The range includes the Florida panhandle and much of the pennins , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Must have acidic soil. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit. , Habitat, Moist sites. Flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts various pollinators, especially native bees.   Documented bee species include Agapostemon s

Very large leaves. This is a very rare species endemic to a few steep-sided ravines and bluffs in the Florida panhandle. This species is listed as End , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits eaten and spread by birds and small mammals. , Habitat, Slope forest, upland mixed forest. Ravines. Andy's photo is of a planted specimen that appears to nearly lack the red/purple splotches at the bases , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Beetles are the primary pollinators of magnolia flowers. The flowers have a hardened carpel to avoid damage by the

Climbs by twining petioles. Grow on a trellis or fence. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, To remain attractive and not become a mass of past growth, cut it back occasionally. Thin out old stems. , Wildlife, Attracts  hummingbords. , Habitat, Riverine swamps, wet hammocks. This species can be seen near the boardwalks at Flint Creek and Sargeant Parks in Hillsborough County. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Larval host for mournful thyris (Thyris sepulchralis). Attracts bees and butterfli

Background plant in a wetland garden. Wetland creation and restoration projects. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray wo , Wildlife, Cover for water birds and other wildlife. Birds eat the seeds. , Habitat, Wet prairie, river floodplain. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage

Lacy specimen plant in wet settings. Useful in fern gardens or beside a shady water feature. Useful around drainage ponds. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Needs periodic removal of old fronds. , Habitat, Dome swamp, cutthroat seep. Wet woods, usually with acid soil. Shallow swamps, bogs, shallow ponds, stream banks, hydric seep slopes. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage