Three subspecies occur in Florida.  The subspecies ranges somewhat overlap.  Subspecies cruiseana is listed as Endangered by the State of Florida. In , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without i , Considertions, Becomes less than attractive after flowering. , Wildlife, Primarily wind dispersed, but small birds consume seed. , Habitat, Scrub, sandhills. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Butterflies and bees including green metallic, sweat, leafcutter, bumble and mining bees (Florida Wildflower Foundation).

In a wildflower garden or meadow, because it's noticeable only when flowering. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Disturbed areas , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host to the Buckeye butterfly, Junonia coernia. Nectar source for bumblebees and other long tongue bees, butterflies and skipper

There are two color morphs: green and silver. Silver is associated with the east coast, but may occur anywhere within the range.  It is typically larg , 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, Be sure to plan for enough room for this spreading plant. , Wildlife, Palmetto berries are important bear food. More than 100 bird species, 27 mammals, 25 amphibians, 61 reptiles, and countless insects use it as food and , Habitat, Mesic flatwoods, wet flatwoods, dry flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods, scrub, hardwood hammock. Generally absent from cleared sites even after abandonment , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for monk skipper (Asbolis capucinus) and palmetto skipper (Eu

This species is almost always coastal occupying only a strip along the coastline and not entire counties. Wildflower garden or tall-growing groundcov , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without injury. , Considertions, Becomes weedy-looking after flowering. , Habitat, Depression and basin marshes, wet prairies, pine rocklands, edges of mangrove swamps, disturbed areas such as berms and dikes near the coast, edges of , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar plant for cassius blue (Leptotes cassius), Dorantes longtail (Urbanus dorantes), eufala skipper (Lerodea eufala), field skipper

Specimen plant, thicket, or natural background plantings. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. , Habitat, Upland hardwood forests, flatwoods, by swamps, bluffs, slope forests, secondary woods. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators, especially bumble bees.

In a managed garden, gamagrass can be trimmed back at the end of winter. Hedge, foundation planting, individual large grass clump, background screen , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Can die back and become messy during cold winters, but new growth covers it in the spring. , Wildlife, Even when trimmed occasionally, Gama Grass will provide cover for small mammals, birds, and reptiles. Deer eat the seeds. , Habitat, Wet bogs, roadsides, ditches, wet hammocks, river banks, low thickets, pine woods, open swamps, open habitats, flatwoods, sandhill, scrub. Also culti , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Larval host for three-spotted skipper (Cymaenes tripunctus), clouded skipper (Lerema accius) and Byssusskipper (Problema

Groundcover. Foliage is low and neat even during periods when there are no flowers (flowers in mid-spring). Plant not visible in winter. Can be natura , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Cutthroat seeps, moist roadsides, hammocks, bogs, river banks. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Beneficial sweat bees, bumble bees, bee flies, and syrphid flies are attracted to nectar and pollen.

Specimen tree. Red to yellow in the fall. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Steep stream banks and ridges, hammocks, bluffs. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers Attracts bees and other pollinators.

Is being replaced  by S. lancifolia in Louisiana where there is salt water intrusion into wetlands.  Apparently much less salt tolerant that S. lancif , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds are attracted to the fruits. , Habitat, Marshes, wetter portions of wet prairies, swamps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts insect pollinators.

Wildflower gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Not drought tolerant. , Habitat, Hydric to mesic pine flatwoods, cutthroat seeps, bogs. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many butterflies (NSIS), bees and other pollinators.

Grow as stands of flowers in moist areas. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Self-fertile, so seeds can be produced by self-pollination. Pollination is facilitated by  bats, hummingbirds, and other small wildlife species. , Habitat, Wet sites. Swamps, pond and lake margins, ditches, savannas, hydric pine flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Self-fertile, so seeds can be produced by self-pollination. Pollination is facilitated by bees. Larval host of the

Leaves are 2-3 feet across. Listed as Endangered by the state of Florida. Accent or specimen tree in the landscape, also good along roadsides and med , 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, Used as nesting site and food source for birds. , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock, coastal berm, maritime hammock. Calcareous soils including seasonally inundated flats and shallow depressions. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for monk skipper (Asbolis capucinus). Attracts bees.

There are two subspecies in Florida with somewhat different but overlapping distributions. Culture and uses in the landscape are similar. It is best t , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, River floodplains. Low roadsides. Low pastures. Usually seen in late winter/spring after rains. Can show up at other times with the right pattern , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators.

Butterfly garden, natural landscape, habitat restoration , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Pinelands and open coastal uplands , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host plant for long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus) and northern cloudywing (Thorybes pylades) butterflies. Pollinated by bees.

The herbarium specimen from Polk County almost certainly has a wrong location.  Lithia is in Hillsborough County and the most likely translation of a , 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, Attracts hummingbirds. Birds and other small wildlife consume the seed (https://wildflower.org) , Habitat, Moist-wet areas, acid soils. Wet flatwoods, savannas, swamps, stream banks, bogs, other wet areas. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees which have evolved to take advantage of narrow, tubular flowers.

Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals eat the seeds. , Habitat, Flatwoods. Moist to dry roadsides. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts a variety of pollinators including bees.   Attracts butterflies.

This is a wetland plant. It is rarely grown, but it has potential in appropriate sites. Specimen plant or background screen for wet places. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts butterflies, bees, beetles, and birds. , Habitat, Depressions in pine flatwoods, brackish and freshwater marshes, edges of lakes and ponds, along rivers, swamps, canals, ditches. Commonly in water bu , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host of  Gray Hairstreak, Painted Lady Butterfly, Common Checkered Skipper and Tropical Checkered Skipper butterflies and  four

Shady settings. Interesting for its green twigs and red warty fruits. In good habitats it can form dense clones. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume seed. , Habitat, Seep slopes, rich woods, hammocks, upland mixed forest, bluffs, floodplains. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy fruits Insect pollinated, especially by bees.

Adaptable to the casual or wildflower garden. Can be used as groundcover or border plant. Naturalizes. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can spread overly quickly. , Habitat, Open sites, deciduous woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators, especially bees.

The range of this species includes much of eastern North America.  This orchid is found through much of Florida, especially north Florida.   State Thr , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Will not do well in a general garden setting. , Habitat, Cutthroat seeps, dome swamp (edges), wet flatwoods (wet openings) , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Pollinated by bees.

Hedge plant. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, In unburned natural wetlands, this plant sometimes form almost impenetrable thickets along the edge. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit. , Habitat, Swampy sites, wet pine flatwoods, sloughs and edges of cypress swamps, seepage swamps and bogs, savannas, other wet depressional areas. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts bees (https://wildflower.org).