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.

Specimen plant, edge, understory shrub. Can be grown in a large container. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Old leaf bases form long stiff spines. , Wildlife, Provides good wildlife cover. , Habitat, Moist-wet sites. Seep slope forests, regularly but shallowly inundated floodplains, seepage swamps especially associated with springs, hydric seepage , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Thorns Attracts beetles.

This is a rare plant.  Please acquire responsibly (don't steal from the wild). Not common in the nursery trade (we are aware of one North Florida nurs , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Open woodlands , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Especially attractive to butterflies.

Grows well well north of its native range.  Documented in very southern counties with an outlier in Martin County -- that outlier is also unique in th , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can get messy after cold spells. , Wildlife, Seeds are eaten by birds.  Provides cover for lizzards and other small animals. , Habitat, Pine rockland. Also cultivated. Dry sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Larval host for Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus).

There is a natural dwarf form that is associated with xeric uplands.  I makes a nice, low-growing shrub in casual gardens. Good as a background or he , 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, It is flammable, so plant away from buildings in fire-prone areas. It fixes nitrogen with its roots like a legume, so it tolerates poor soils. , Wildlife, Good wildlife cover. Seeds eaten by birds. , Habitat, Wet-dry sites. Upland mixed forest, floodplains, wetland edges, cutthroat seeps, old fields, scrub, fencerows , Did You Know?, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for banded hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) and red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)butterflies.

Often planted in restoration and mitigation wetlands. Makes a good plant to border retention ponds. Rain gardens and bioswales. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Used for nesting and as a food source. Said to be deer resistant. , Habitat, Moist-wet sites. Disturbed wetlands. Very tolerant of grazing. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Based on maps from BONAP and ISB, this species ranges across the southern and central US and up the eastern seabord to Massachusetts.  The entire Flor , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Marsh and swamp edges , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Nectar attracts bees and many different kinds of butterflies. Documented bee visitors include Halictzcs ligatus, Dial

Back of garden screen , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Pine rockland, edges of hammocks , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and 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

Fall foliage color is yellow. While used extensively as a street tree in the north, this fast growing species is relatively weak. Specimen tree. Freq , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Its prolific root system is notorious for invading and clogging leaky underground drainage and water lines. Susceptible to wind or ice damage due to i , Wildlife, The  are important food for squirrels during late winter/early spring. Budburst comes during the critical late winter-spring period when stored food s , Habitat, Floodplains. , Did You Know?, Fall color Attracts bees. Larval host for Cecropia silkmoth (Hyalophora cecropia).

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.

Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Mesic to wet flatwoods, seep slopes, bogs, savannas, ditches, secondary woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees.

The bloom period is relatively long - lasting from early spring, well into fall. Wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Seeds eaten by birds. , Habitat, Moist roadsides, flatwoods, sandhill, scrub. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies Attracts bees

Shade tree. Screen along wetland edges. Street tree for use in parking lots and median strips. Many acres have been planted to attract bees for honey , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Fallen fruits can be mildly messy. , Wildlife, Seeds eaten by birds. , Habitat, Stream banks, swamps, pond and lake margins. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy fruits Pollinated by bees.

Litsea aestivalis is listed as Endangered by the State of Florida.  Since that listing, the laurel wilt disease has come to Florida, and is known to k , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and mammals. , Habitat, Near the edges of forested wetlands and some seasonal ponds wtih open centers. , Did You Know?, Attracts flies and small bees.  A likely host for the spicebush swallowtail butterfly.

Understory tree, use as a background plant or screen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Floodplains, rich woodlands, upland mixed forest. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy fruits Larval host for the giant swallowtail. Carrion flies pollinate the flowers.

The showy part of the flower is the white, pink or rose bracts that become petal-like. This species is listed as Threatened by the State of Florida. P , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Edges of bayheads, swamps; bogs; steepheads; wet flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts bees and butterflies.

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)

Not frequently seen for sale, but readily available from plant fragments. Used in wetland restoration. Water gardens and ponds. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, This species can become overly dense and completely cover small ponds. Recommended for edges of larger ponds/lakes or streams, or where one wants a g , Wildlife, Provides structure for fish, frogs, etc. in aquatic settings. , Habitat, Marshes, ponds, swamps, rivers, streams. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Pollinated by flies and beetles. Several bees have been documented visiting this species including Hylaeus schwarz

Wood is quite soft and weak.  This author had one break in a storm.  It did however resprout from low on the trunk and the sprout is now about 15 ft t , 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, Quite thorny. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife eat the fruit. , Habitat, Hammocks, wet woods, dunes, shell middens. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Larval host for giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes).