Groundcover in moist areas. Can be mowed. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Often considered a pest in over-watered lawns. If the lawn is replaced by the "pest" the effect can be attractive. , Habitat, Cutthroat seep, wet prairie, dome swamp. Somestimes in floating mats. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Attracts bees.  A study at the Archbold Biological Station identified the following families of bees using this species: Halictid

Small tree in sandhill and other sandy-loam settings. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Does not handle root disturbance well (is noted for disappearing if land is managed by rollerchopping) , Wildlife, Acorns provide food for selected birds, squirrels, raccoons, and deer. , Habitat, Sandhill , Did You Know?, Importnt food source for some species of moths and butterflies.

The natural range of this plant is quite limited, but it has become a native landscaping favorite over a much broader range. Hedges, specimen shrubs, , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Bottomland forest, hydric hammock, baygall, banks of spring run and seepage streams, wet upland mixed forest. Can be seen near several of the spring r , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Insect pollinated.

Understory tree. Can be trimmed to keep sized as a shrub. Accent shrub or can be trained as a hedge. , 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, Slow growing. , Wildlife, Birds eat the fruit. , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock (borders), coastal berm. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits Insect pollinated.

Shade tree. Relatively conical or oval in form. Straight trunk. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Acorns used by mammals and birds. , Habitat, Wet calcareous hammocks, wetland edges and floodplains. Sometimes in bluff microsites. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for the white-m hairstreak and Horace's duskywing.

In natural settings, benefits from fire. Bog gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Bogs, savannas, seep slopes, seepy edges of marshes and wet prairies, seepy roadside swales. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Pollinated by bees

Three species occur in Florida. Please plant your local variety. Wildflower garden where it is very showy in late summer/early fall. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Some birds and small mammals consume consume the seeds (https://flawildflowers.org/). , Habitat, Dry flatwoods, sandhill, scrub. This species can be seen at the Starkey Wilderness Preserve in Pasco County. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia). Attracts insects, especially bees.

Don't confuse this native with the two highly invasive ardisias: coral ardisia (A. crentata) and shoebutton ardisia (A. elliptica). While this will gr , 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, Weak wood. , Wildlife, Birds eat the berries. , Habitat, Moist to dry hammocks , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts Halictid bees.

Use as a specimen tree.  May be large.  May produce aerial roots, but less frequently than F. aurea. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Many birds and other wildlife consume the fruit and find cover in this plant. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Tropical hammocks. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Interesting foliage Larval host for ruddy daggerwing (Marpesia petreus) butterflies, Edwards' wasp (Lymire edwardsii) and fig sphin

Very robust.  Forms large patches.  Given its potential to be very tall, it may needs to have support from adjacent plants.   Data on salt tolerance c , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Seeds eaten by small birds such as finches. , Habitat, Forests , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts bumble bees, butterflies Larval host for the silvery checkerspot, found only in extreme north Florida.