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.

Invasive in many parts of the world.  It is either a blessing or a pest in Florida depending on where it is. Good addition to a freedom lawn. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Will spread. , Habitat, Disturbed areas , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar attracts bees, butterflies and flies.

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.

The range map for this species suggests that it might occur in the ApalachicolaRiver floodplains even where it had not been documented. Shade tree. T , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Fallen/falling acorns can be a maintenance issue. , Wildlife, Acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, blue jays, ducks, small mammals, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer and black bear Provides c , Habitat, Floodplains of large rivers, predominantly the greater Apalachicola River system. , Did You Know?, Hurricane wind resistance Host plant for the banded hairstreak, Edwards' hairstreak, gray hairstreak, white-M hairstreak Horace's duskywing and the J

Wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Wet and coastal sites. Coastal scrub. Bogs, hydric and wet mesic flatwoods, ditches, coastal marshes. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar plant for monarch (Danaus plexippus) and other butterflies.  Attracts pollinators including native bees.  The goldenrod soldier

Leaves have sharp spiny tips. Specimen plant. Low hedge. , 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, The leaves have hard, sharp points. , Wildlife, Provides wildlife cover , Habitat, Dry sites. Scrub, scrubby flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host plant for cofaqui giant skipper (Megathymus cofaqui) and yucca giant skipper (Megathymus yuccae) butte

Grow as an emergent along pond or lake edges or in aquatic gardens. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife eat the fruit. , Habitat, Marshes, wetter portions of wet prairies, swamps, roadside ditches with marsh-like character. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Flowers attract pollinators.

There is potential name confusion with this species since it was formerly considered to be a subspecies of O. hirtellus (Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. s , 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, Unfortunately, this low growing grass is not visible during winter-spring, so its use is somewhat restricted to areas where this is not an issue. , Habitat, Moist sites. Shade. Moist hammocks. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Larval host for Carolina satyr (Hermeuptychia sosbius) butterfliy (IRC)

While this tree has a limited native distribution in Florida, it also occurs as far west as Texas in similar types of settings. Shade tree. Can be us , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, While not known to occur in Florida, this species is potentially susceptible to  Dutch elm disease. , Wildlife, Seeds used by birds when little else is available. Used for nesting. , Habitat, Floodplain forest, hydric hammock, bottomland forest. On limestone. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Fall color, Interesting foliage Larval food for the Question Mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis)

Shade tree. It is known for its smooth light gray bark. Its leaves turn yellow and then light brown remaining on the tree until nearly spring and prov , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, This is a large tree that will produce dense shade and many root suckers. Take this into consideration when deciding where to plant it. Slow growing. , Wildlife, Fruits (a nut in a bur) are valued by wildlife.  Tree valued for nesting by some songbirds. , Habitat, Upland, mesic to dry mesic hardwood forests. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Fall color, Interesting foliage Larval host for walnut sphinx (Amorpha juglandis).

Threatened in the State of Florida.  Please acquire plants from reputable sources with any needed permits. Specimen plant. Grown for its showy flower , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits used by birds. , Habitat, Pine rockland, tropical rockland hammock. Disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Insect pollinated, largely by bees.

Pitchers (leaves) are mostly green with red coloration near the upper parts. Bog gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Savannahs, bogs, wet flatwoods, seep slopes. Benefits from fire. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Insectivorous. A number of insect groups visit the flowers but their role in pollination is unknown.