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).

Plant in moist to wet areas where it can be grown in large clumps. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Toxic. , Habitat, Open seepage areas, marshes, marshy areas along streams. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host to the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) and soldier butterfly, (Danaus eresimus). At

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

The common name refers to the pliable twigs. Use as a border plant, foundation plant, or understory shrub in a shady, moist setting. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can cause serious skin irritation and is somewhat toxic to ingest. A rare shrub, so may not adapt well into home landscapes. , Habitat, Mesic slope forests, ravines and bluffs. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Insects visit the flowers, but likely the plant does not rely upon them.  Visits apparently opportunistic.  (Williams, 2004).

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

Moist wildflower garden. Wetland garden. Plant in full sun and give it plenty of room and plant behind shorter plants. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Clonal--it aggressively sends out suckers. If grown in shady areas, it tends to fall over. , Habitat, Swamps, brackish and freshwater marshes. Wet flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies, bees and other pollinators

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.

Not readily available from nurseries but said to be easy to grow. Palafoxia feayi is a related species, also beautiful, but harder to row and even les , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Dry or scrubby flatwoods and , coastal hammocks. Common after fire. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts bees, butterflies and moths.  Said to attract scarab beetles.

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.

This is listed as Endangered by the FDACS.  Please acquire from reputable sources with appropriate permits. Use on trellis or scramble up a mature tr , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Wildlife eat the fruits. , Habitat, Pineland hammocks and edges of forested wetlands. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Pollinated by bees. Does not seem to be as attractive for butterflies as its cousi

This species is listed as invasive in parts of the world where it is not native. Water garden, planting of surface water management pond. Often used , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Water. Ponds, lakes, quiet streams, swampa, ditches, canals. This species can be seen in the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area in Hillsborough , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Pollinated by bees and flies.

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.

This was one of the important grasses of the mid-western prairies. Survives occasional flooding and repeated burning. Plant in the rear of a wildflow , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds eat seeds. , Habitat, Flatwoods, sandhills. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Larval host for pepper and salt skipper (Amblyscirtes hegon).