This plant is rare in Florida. It is much more common further north where it is absolutely spectacular in early spring. Specimen plant. It can be pru , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Seep stream (banks). Further north, it also occurs along lake edges. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Mining bees are known to be frequent pollinators of ninebark flowers.  Both short and long-tongu

Fruits are magenta. There is a white-fruited/white-flowered variety, uncommonly found naturally in Florida, that is sold occasionally. Specimen plant , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Cut back in winter to encourage blooming and good form. , Wildlife, Many bird species consume the fruit. including catbirds, mockinbirds, and robins. , Habitat, Dry mesic hardwoods, xeric hammock, scrubby flatwoods, flatwoods, disturbed dry-moist woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for for spring azure butterflies and snowberry clearwing moths. Attracts various p

Interesting buttressed trunks. Shade tree. Can be used in settings such as parking lot edges, street tree, etc. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Povides good cover.  Birds and small mammals are attracted to the fruit. , Habitat, Tropical hammocks. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts insect pollinators

Very large leaves. This is a very rare species endemic to a few steep-sided ravines and bluffs in the Florida panhandle. This species is listed as End , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits eaten and spread by birds and small mammals. , Habitat, Slope forest, upland mixed forest. Ravines. Andy's photo is of a planted specimen that appears to nearly lack the red/purple splotches at the bases , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Beetles are the primary pollinators of magnolia flowers. The flowers have a hardened carpel to avoid damage by the

These species are, in combination, found throughout Florida and from a cultivation perspective, are very similar.  In nature, O. stricta tends to be i , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure t , Considertions, Thorns! The thorns on this plant make weeding around it difficult. Best planted where no one will be walking adjacent to the plant. , Habitat, Coastal dunes, coastal grasslands. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Thorns Nectar plant for Meske's skipper (Hesperia meskei) butterflies. Attracts a variety of insect

Hedge plant. Screen plant. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon ( , Considertions, Thorns. , Wildlife, Fruit are eaten by birds and mammals. It provides nesting sites and cover. . , Habitat, Coastal hammocks, salt flats. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns, Hurricane wind resistance Appreciated by a variety of insects as a nectar source.

Listed as Threatened in Florida. Please acquire from reputable sources. Screen plant. Informal hedge. Specimen. , Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation) High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and , Wildlife, Fruits attract birds. , Habitat, Pine rockland, rockland hammock. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits

Specimen plant. Hedge--makes a good barrier. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon ( , Considertions, Leaves have very sharp tips. , Wildlife, Provides wildlife cover , Habitat, Wet flatwoods, sand dunes, disturbed sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Provides food and cover for wildlife.Larval host plant for cofaqui giant skipper (Megathymus cofaqui

Emerald ash borer is a problem in the northeast, and if it reaches Florida, it would likely be lethal to this species. Specimen tree where a small dr , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Flowers and leaves emerge late in the spring and leaves fall early in the fall. When not blooming, it's not outstanding. , Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds and small mammals. , Habitat, Moist hammocks, but adaptable to many situations. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host for rustic sphinx (Manduca rustica), waved sphinx (Ceratomia undulosa), and laurel s

While somewhat overly aggressive, it can be controlled. The author allows it to climb palm trees but pulls them off the tree to limit their size every , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, This is a fast growing vine. It also layers and suckers. These characteristics can make it weedy. It climbs by means of aerial rootlets, which can dam , Wildlife, Very attractive to hummingbirds which are its primary pollinators. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Riverine forests, mesic & dry mesic hammock especially where disturbed. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for the plebeian sphinx (Paratraea plebeja) moth.

Can be cut back to improve appearance, but should not be severely pruned more than once a year. Spores cover undersides of leaves giving them a bi-col , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without injury. , Considertions, Not drought tolerant. , Wildlife, Used as cover. , Habitat, Brackish and freshwater marshes, swamps, river floodplains. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Because it's a legume, it will grow well in poor soil. There are multiple subspecies. Wildflower garden. This is a low, wide-spreading plant that wil , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds and other small wildlife consume seeds (in pods). , Habitat, Dry flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia). Attracts pollinators, especially bees.

Can be distinguished from non-native agave by its bare basal trunk. Endemic to southern peninsular Florida from the Monroe County Keys north along the , Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation) High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and , Considertions, Sharp pointed leaves and sap that can be irritating to the skin. Only blooms once. , Habitat, Coastal hammocks, shell middens, dry coastal uplands. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host for Yucca Giant Skipper (Megathymus yuccae) and Cofaqui Giant Skipper (Megathymus cofaqui).  Pollinate

Listed as Threatened by the State of Florida.  Please acqure from reputable sources. Screen or hedge plant. Informal foundation shrub. Blooms profuse , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure t , Wildlife, Birds eat the fruits and the red&black arils. , Habitat, Tropical/coastal hammock edges, dunes, fields. Dry sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host  for cassius blue (Leptotes cassius theonus), large orange sulphur (Phoebis agarithe), and Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi be