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,

Has shiny, stiff leaves 2.5 to 5 inches long. Often used as a hedge plant. Fast growing. Can also work as an individual specimen. A good choice for d , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt , Wildlife, Dense foliage can be good bird nesting habitat.  Fruits are dispersed by wind. , Habitat, Dry sites near the coast. Hammocks and pinelands. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts pollinators.

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.

Can be used as an accent plant or grown in the mid-rear of the garden. Also suitable in wildflower gardens. Its broad tolerance of soil and moisture c , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, The coarse foliage and prickly balls of flowers are not popular as a source of food with mammalian herbivores, although they may nibble off the ends o , Habitat, Moist-moist-wet sites. Cutthroat seeps, savannas, wet flatwoods, wet prairie, coastal flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butte

Widespread but sparse distribution in Florida largely based on where limestone is exposed at the surface.  If you have limestone it is appropriate to , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Said to be resistant to deer. , Habitat, Moist hammocks and can grow attached to rock outcroppings if moisture is consistently present in the area. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Groundcover in coastal sandy areas. Useful for dune stabilization. , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt , Habitat, Coastal dunes. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Low specimen plant, mass plantings. Can be used as a low hedge, even sheared. Useful for beach dune stabilization. , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure t , Considertions, Clonal. , Wildlife, Provides food for birds. , Habitat, Dunes, coastal areas with rocky soils (sunny, open areas), pine rockland , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Flowers attract butterflies.

Blooms all year. Recruits readily in the garden from seed. Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gard , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Larval host plant for Miami blue (Hemiargus thomasi) and silver-banded hairstreak (Chlorostrymon simaethis) butterflies; occasional larval host for th , Habitat, Coastal hammocks. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Larval host plant for Miami blue (Hemiargus thomasi) and silver-banded hairstreak (Chlorostrymon sim

Wildflower garden, most species prefer relatively moist conditions. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attract bees and butterflies. , Habitat, Flatwoods, marsh edges, moist ruderal areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers

Flowers open white and rapidly turn pink. Use as a specimen plant. Can also be used as a hedge. , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure t , Wildlife, Attracts birds , Habitat, Dry sites. Coastal hammocks. Disturbed sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts various pollinators. Larval host for Florida white (Appias drusilla) butterfli

Moist wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Wet prairie, wet pine flatwoods, fresh to brackish marshes, bogs, ditches, swamps. Especially in areas where limestone is close to the surface. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many pollinators; is especially important for native bees.

This forms clumps but does not form large clones, which means it will not take over a garden. Wildflower garden , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Songbirds such as goldfinches and sparrows eat the seeds, and mice and deer browse the foliage and flowers.  Provides cover for many small animals inc , Habitat, Typically a plant of mesic to dry flatwoods and scrubby flatwoods. Can be ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Used for nectar by butterflies. Attracts a wide variety of pollinators, especially bees.  Documented bee visitors include Colletes maiz

Although drought-tolerant, this shrub/small tree may benefit from a few deep, thorough soakings during extremely dry periods. When young, it tends to , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt , Considertions, Thorns on trunks and branches. Place where flowers and fragrance can be enjoyed, but away from walkways. Can suffer from root rot if too wet. , Wildlife, The thorny branches make good cover for birds and other wildlife. Fruits are not generally valued. Attracts pollinators. There are 2 subspecies, V. fa , Habitat, Coastal uplands, ruderal, shell middens , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Attracts pollinators and uses ants both for protection against unwanted insects.

Multiple species are native to Florida.  Most are attractive and many are easy to grow.  This is a catch-all for species not listed individually.  Ple , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Small seed-eating birds pick out the seeds from the mature flower heads. , Habitat, Vary by species. Mostly sandhills, bogs, roadsides, ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attract butterflies, bees and wasps.

This species is broadly planted. It is one of the few native trees that is widely available. Noted for its twisty form, tolerance of root damage, and , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure t , Considertions, Massive low hanging branches often droop to touch the ground--make sure you allow plenty of room for this tree. Can be somewhat messy especially if lo , Wildlife, Acorns provide a good food source for many types of birds and mammals. Good nesting habitat for birds and squirrels.  The acorns are low in tannins. H , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock, pine rockland in fire-suppressed areas and near tropical rockland hammock, upper edges of floodplains, margins of ponds and , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)