Specimen or hedge plant.

Specimen tree. Red to yellow in the fall.

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.

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.