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

Based on the BONAP range map, this species is a "near endemic" -- it occurs only in the panhandle and a 3 counties in southern Alabama. At this time, , Tolerance, Unknown Unknown , Wildlife, Small birds eat the seed. , Habitat, Wet flatwoods, bogs, savannahs, prairies , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar plant for many butterfly species but also visited by other native insect pollinators.

Not widely grown. Groundcover. , 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 , Habitat, River banks, coastal pinelands, edges of salt marshes. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host plant for ceraunus blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) butterflies. Attracts bees and butterflies.

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

Sometimes difficult to establish in new areas, but definitely worth the effort. Wildflower garden, meadow. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Reported to attract hummingbirds. , Habitat, Sandhill, clayhill, scrub, ruderal , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies, bees, other insects. Larval host to the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) a

This subspecies has a broad distribution that extends west into Texas and north into northern New England.  It is found broadly but sporatically in Fl , 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 , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals eat the seeds. , Habitat, Beach dune. Disturbed sandy areas both near the coast and inland. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Primarily pollinated by bees.

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 , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, The further south you go, the more short-lived this species gets.  Except in extreme north Florida, treat as an annual or at least don't assume that i , Wildlife, Small birds and small mammals consume the seed. , Habitat, Upland glades, openings in upland mixed forests on calcareous soils. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many pollinators, especially bees.

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