This forms clumps but does not form large clones, which means it will not take over a garden. Wildflower garden , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Songbirds such as goldfinches and sparrows eat the seeds, and mice and deer browse the foliage and flowers.  Provides cover for many small animals inc , Habitat, Typically a plant of mesic to dry flatwoods and scrubby flatwoods. Can be ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Used for nectar by butterflies. Attracts a wide variety of pollinators, especially bees.  Documented bee visitors include Colletes maiz

This is a rare plant.  Please acquire responsibly (don't steal from the wild). Not common in the nursery trade (we are aware of one North Florida nurs , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Open woodlands , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Especially attractive to butterflies.

There are three subspecies included in this description.  Together, they are found in all coastal counties of Florida and many inland ones.  As a gras , 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 , Wildlife, Muhly grass forms a low canopy that small animals can use for shelter and refuge. Small birds eat the seeds. , Habitat, Flatwoods, marshes, scrub. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage

Wood is quite soft and weak.  This author had one break in a storm.  It did however resprout from low on the trunk and the sprout is now about 15 ft t , 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, Quite thorny. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife eat the fruit. , Habitat, Hammocks, wet woods, dunes, shell middens. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Larval host for giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes).

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.

Often planted in restoration and mitigation wetlands. Makes a good plant to border retention ponds. Rain gardens and bioswales. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Used for nesting and as a food source. Said to be deer resistant. , Habitat, Moist-wet sites. Disturbed wetlands. Very tolerant of grazing. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Fall foliage color is yellow. While used extensively as a street tree in the north, this fast growing species is relatively weak. Specimen tree. Freq , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Its prolific root system is notorious for invading and clogging leaky underground drainage and water lines. Susceptible to wind or ice damage due to i , Wildlife, The  are important food for squirrels during late winter/early spring. Budburst comes during the critical late winter-spring period when stored food s , Habitat, Floodplains. , Did You Know?, Fall color Attracts bees. Larval host for Cecropia silkmoth (Hyalophora cecropia).

Low ground-hugging ground cover in restoration areas, in ditches, and on wetland edges. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, It can become aggressive in the right conditions. , Habitat, Lakes edges, stream floodplains, marshes, swamps , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host plant for white peacock (Anartia jatrophae) butterflies. Insect pollinated. Attracts low-flying butter

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.