Its peeling bark and rounded lobes set it apart from most other oaks. Shade tree best suited to settings where its large size can be appreciated. Grown in open settings, it can have a wide spread. Grown in a forested setting it will have a narrower crown.

Moist wildflower garden, especially acidic gardens oriented toward sphagnum, pitcher plants, and similar bog species.

This colony-forming fern is well-behaved in the landscape. Use as a groundcover in moist areas, rain gardens, or bioswales.

Multistemmed shrub that can form small thickets. Plant as a screen, hedge, or background plant.

Requires a reliable cold period to persist. In most of Florida it can be treated as an annual in gardens. Listed as Endangered by the State of Florida.  While this is a common garden plant in the north, its range barely reaches Florida, and it is rare and exists only in a highly specific habitate in the wild. Works well in almost any garden with mixed wildflower species. North of Florida, this species is sometimes planted as single-species mass plantings.

Grow on a trellis, but keep it fairly short to keep the flowers at a level where they will be enjoyed. Can be grown as a container plant.

Wild cotton is a rare plant; it needs protection against missuses and protection against removal from natural populations. Use as a short-lived "shrub". Dies back with freezing but will re-sprout from the roots. Use as a specimen plant.

This subspecies has a broad distribution that extends west into Texas and north into northern New England.  It is found broadly but sporatically in Florida.  Our map shows where herbarium specimens have been submitted, but it should be appropriate to plant this plant almost anywhere in the northern 2/3 of the state.   To avoid inbreeding, do not plant this subspecies in a common garden with either the east- or west-coast dune sunflower. Beach-front gardens.  Wildflower gardens. Groundcover.

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 patches making good groundcover in wet areas.