The cream-colored petals are crimped at the margins with numerous dark-purple stamen filaments and bluish anthers. Silky hairs cover the lower leaf surface. Specimen plant. This is an open-branched shrub that can be trained into a small tree. It prefers habitats under a high canopy.

This species may not survive well near the southern end of its range especially if grown in full sun and droughty conditions. And even if it does survive, it does not have the impact that it does in the north, where the flowers stand out in the landscape before any leaves emerge in the spring. Specimen tree. It is known for its showy white "flowers" in the spring. What appears to be the flower petals are actually large bracts. The true flowers occur in a group in the center of the bracts. They are small and yellow-green.

Blooms mid- summer into fall. Wildflower garden, border plant, rain gardens, containers.

This is one of the few Florida oaks that looks like an oak to most people from the eastern US north of Florida. Tends to be smaller toward the southern end of its range. Specimen or shade tree.

Prolific bloomer: very showy. Fragrant. Understory tree. Specimen plant in moist areas.

Groundcover recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restoration.