Multistemmed shrub that can form small thickets. Plant as a screen, hedge, or background plant. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Can become aggressive in some habitats. , Habitat, Moist hammocks, dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia), gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), and silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreu

Both the common and scientific genus names refer to the lizard-like shape of the drooping flower head. This is a wetland plant. It can form dense pat , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Eaten by wood ducks and other foraging birds. , Habitat, Shallow water of streams, swamps, wet forests, ditches. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Nectar plant for hairstreaks and other insects esp. bees and flies, but apparently mostly wind p

It is listed as Threatened by the state of Florida. Naturalistic landscapes. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume fruit. , Habitat, Relatively dry hammocks. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark Larval host plant for Florida white (Appias drusilla) butterfly.

Moist wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Foliage and seeds are food source for birds and mammals. , Habitat, Flatwoods, sandhill, ruderal areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators, especially bees. Documented bees include Augochlorella aurata, Dialictzcs coreopsis and D. lniniatulus (Deyrup et

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.

This Florida native has been introduced into Hawaii where it is extremely invasive. In fact, it has earned the distinction of being listed in the Glob , 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, Easily spread by birds so it can become somewhat of a pest. , Wildlife, Dense foliage creates cover for birds and other wildlife (https://www.plantcreations.com/). , Habitat, Cultivated. According to Wunderlin (1998), probably native, but may not exist outside of cultivation today. Xeric and dry mesic hammocks, scrub. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Can produce seed without pollination.

Despite the appearance of the county-based range map, the actual range is limited to the coastal areas. Wildflower garden. Groundcover. , 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, West and east coast beach sunflowers can hybridize, so it is best not to plant east coast beach sunflower withing the natural range of wet cost beach , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals eat the seeds. , Habitat, Beach dune. Disturbed areas near coast (ruderal) , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Primarily pollinated by bees.

Wild cotton is a rare plant; it needs protection against missuses and protection against removal from natural populations. Use as a short-lived "shru , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, It is not legal to plant this plant, but the reasons are very dated. A Florida law was passed in the early 1900s banning the growing of wild cottons, , Habitat, Dry sites. Tropical hammock, coastal berm, shell mound. Disturbed area. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Larval host plant for gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) butterflies. Flowers attract bees, flies, thrips, grass hoppers,

It is difficult to know the native range of this plant in Florida as it has been widely planted on roadsides across much of the state at least since t , 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, A series of studies in the last 10 years are suggesting that Gaillardia pulchella is likely not native to Florida.   It is widely grown and  naturaliz , Wildlife, Birds that eat the seeds include chickadees, titmice, and warblers. , Habitat, Dry sites, often near the coast. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many pollinators including native bees, honeybees, butterflies, butterflies and wasps.