Small to medium tree often with somewhat scruffy form. Retain in a natural setting if present.

Wildflower garden, meadow.

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 the 1700s. Cultivated flower beds, roadside wildflower plantings, wildflower garden. Typically grown as an annual though some plants may persist for several years.

Specimen tree. Red to yellow in the fall.

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

Retain if present in natural setting. Can be grown in a wildflower garden.

It is listed as Threatened by the state of Florida. Naturalistic landscapes.

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.

Wildflower garden. Mass plantings.

Listed as Threatened in Florida.  Please acquire only from appropriately licensed sources. Specimen tree or understory tree.

Restoration proects and casual moist-site plantings.

Bahama ladder brake hybridizes with the non-native and invasive China brake (P. vittata) forming Delchamps' ladder brake (P. x delchampsii). Bahama ladder break is threatened with extinction due to this hybridization. Because of this, we do not recommend planting Bahama ladder break -- if we plant it and there is any China brake around, we exacerbate the problem. When you find this plant in nature, please enjoy it there. Listed as threatened by the state of Florida. Grows in clumps. Unusual in that it thrives in high light, but needs moist soil.

Moist wildflower garden. Wetland garden. Plant in full sun and give it plenty of room and plant behind shorter plants.

Background shrub.

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.

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.

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.

Less aggressive growth than similar Asian species. Blooms only on new wood. At least one cultivar has white flowers. Good trellis, post or fence vine. It's a legume, so it can grow in poor soils, but blooms much better with a richer soil mixture.

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