Specimen plant. Slow growing.

Retain in the landscape for coastal protection where present. Used for dune restoration.

This is listed as an ENDANGERED by the State of Florida An excellent accent shrub or small tree with open, spreading crown. Attractive fine textured, thin leaves and long, hanging spikes of flowers. Dioecious with male and female flowers on separate plants.

The range of this species includes much of eastern North America up into southern Canada.  Its occurrence in Florida is sparse with appropriate substrate likely being the primary determining factor. Treasure if you have it. Good for rock gardens and shade gardens as an understory plant.

The scientific name Befaria racemosa was apparently an early transcription error. The genus is named after an 18th century Spanish botanist by the name of Bejar. Documented bees include Agapostemon splendens, Augochlorella aurata, A. gratiosa, Augochloropsis sumptuosa, Anthidiellum perplexum, Anthidium maculifrons, Megachile brevis pseudobrevis, M. mendica, M. petulans, Bombus impatiens and B. pennsylvanicus (Deyrup et al. 2002). Naturalistic settings. Conserve in residual natural settings if possible.

Restoration proects and casual moist-site plantings.

The species is hermaphroditic (monecious), meaning flowers have both male and female reproductive structures on the same plant. This is a near-endemic meaning that it occurs mostly in Florida with a few outlying populations in Georgia and South Carolina. Moist wildflower gardens.

Useful in coastal restoration or retained along a coastal shoreline for stabilization. Salt marsh coastal stabilizer. Low dune stabilizer. Groundcover in coastal settings.

Often in water. Use in water gardens or along the shallow edges of ponds.

Background shrub.

Compound leaf has "wings" of tissue along the leaf-stem (rachis). This is one of the few shrubs that produces brilliant red fall color in much of Florida.

Endemic to the sand ridges of  central and northern peninsular Florida. Forms a thicket with many sprouts from  underground stems.