Cover plant, hedge plant, screen. , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Birds eat the fruits.  Occasionally attracts hummingbirds. , Habitat, Coastal dunes. Disturbed areas in tropical hammocks (needs light) and pine rocklands. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts butterflies and other pollinators  including ants and bees (IRC).

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.

Shade tree. Branches may be quite twisty giving it an interesting form. Can also be used as a street tree and for ecosystem restoration. , 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, Acorn drop can be a maintenance issue. , Wildlife, Acorns appreciated by squirrels and other wildlife including some birds. , Habitat, Sandhill, pine-oak-hickory woods. , Did You Know?, Larval host for the white-M butterfly and Horace's duskywing.

We are aware of on nursery attempting to grow it but to the best of our knowledge, it is not yet available for sale. If you gather seed, be sure to ha , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Rarely planted due to inavailability and its need for wet sites. , Wildlife, Small birds are likely to harvest seeds. , Habitat, Marshes and moist prairies , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Not studied,  Based on insects attracted by other species, we suspect it attracts butterflies and moths, tachinid flies, bee flies, syr

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.

May sucker and form small clones Foundation plantings, group or mass planting, multi-season accent, or specimen shrub. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Sunny, wet eges of baygalls, shrub swamps, pitcherplant bogs; shrubby transition zones into wet flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and other pollinators.

The genus name honors the English botanist William Vernon, who did fieldwork in North America. Moist wildflower garden. Also useful to naturalize alo , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Hydric to moist savannas, openings along streams, wet pastures, floodplains, bluffs, bay swamps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar attracts native bees and butterflies.  Larval host for Spring azure.

Bog gardens. , 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 , Habitat, Wet flatwoods, marshes, savannahs. Occasionally found in scrub. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Reported to attract mites and small insects such as small flies.

Note: There are cultivars, such as "Little Gem" sold in nurseries that originate from non-Florida stock (Little Gem is a North Carolina tree). Suitabi , 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 , Wildlife, Fruits are eaten (and spread) by  squirrels, opossums, and birds including quail, and turkey. , Habitat, Slope forest, dry-mesic to mesic upland hardwood forest. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Beetles are the primary pollinators. The flowers have a hardened carpel t