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

The genus name honors the English botanist William Vernon, who did fieldwork in North America. Moist wildflower garden. Also useful to naturalize alo , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Hydric to moist savannas, openings along streams, wet pastures, floodplains, bluffs, bay swamps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar attracts native bees and butterflies.  Larval host for Spring azure.

Specimen plant, edge, understory shrub. Can be grown in a large container. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Old leaf bases form long stiff spines. , Wildlife, Provides good wildlife cover. , Habitat, Moist-wet sites. Seep slope forests, regularly but shallowly inundated floodplains, seepage swamps especially associated with springs, hydric seepage , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Thorns Attracts beetles.

While most of these slow-growing trees were harvested for their wood, one Florida key retained its population because it was privately owned. It's now , 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, Very slow growing--as little as an inch per year after the seedling stage if not fertilized. , Wildlife, Catbirds and mockingbirds eat the seeds. (IRC) , Habitat, Rockland hammock. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for lyside sulphur (Kricogonia lyside) butterflies. (IR

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

Moist wildflower garden or butterfly garden. Edges of water features. Will spread to form large patches. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Riverine swamps, cypress savannas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar plant for obscure skipper (Panoquina panoquinoides), salt marsh skipper (Panoquina panoquin), southern broken-dash (Wallengrenia

Wildflower garden. Can be naturalized. Makes a good cut flower. Blooms late in the season. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can escape cultivation and seeds stick to clothing and pets. , Habitat, Open wet places with sandy or gravely soils. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators including bees, wasps, flies, butterflies abd moths, and beetles.

Border plant.  Also used for restoration. , 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 wildlife consume seed. , Habitat, Moist sites. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits

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

We are aware of on nursery attempting to grow it but to the best of our knowledge, it is not yet available for sale. If you gather seed, be sure to ha , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Rarely planted due to inavailability and its need for wet sites. , Wildlife, Small birds are likely to harvest seeds. , Habitat, Marshes and moist prairies , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Not studied,  Based on insects attracted by other species, we suspect it attracts butterflies and moths, tachinid flies, bee flies, syr

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

Shade tree. Branches may be quite twisty giving it an interesting form. Can also be used as a street tree and for ecosystem restoration. , 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 , Considertions, Acorn drop can be a maintenance issue. , Wildlife, Acorns appreciated by squirrels and other wildlife including some birds. , Habitat, Sandhill, pine-oak-hickory woods. , Did You Know?, Larval host for the white-M butterfly and Horace's duskywing.

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

New leaves are rusty-orange. Easy to care for. Can grow as a small tree or a shrub. Use where this small tree's interesting shape will be an asset. D , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Scrub, scrubby flatwoods, overgrown sandhill. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts bees. The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of 

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

This is a near endemic (it is known from a few places in GA).  Sparse near both the northern and southern limits of its range. Groundcover in moist p , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Wet flatwoods, edges of marshes and swamps, roadside swales. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Reported to be a host plant for the white peacock butterfly. Attracts small butterflies and small pollinators.

Like most oaks, the leaves are highly variable with leaves in the upper parts of the tree generally being more finely divided. Shade tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, The acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, blue jays, white-breasted nuthatches, American crows and wild turkey Attracts small mammals including squirrels, , Habitat, Pine-oak-hickory woods, dry bluffs, sinks, secondary woods. , Did You Know?, Fall color Host plant for the banded hairstread, Edward's hairstreak, Grey Hairstreak, white-mouth hairstreak, white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album

Many spleenworts are rare. Please do not harvest from the wild. Most spleenworts have very narrow ranges and narrow environmental tolerances. Don't co , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Around sinkholes and on rocks. Epiphytic on logs and trees. Moist sites. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Specimen plant. Forms a large rosette of spine-tipped leaves. Flower stalks rise to 6-8 ft. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without i , Considertions, Spine-tipped leave are very sharp. , Wildlife, Provides wildlife cover , Habitat, Cultivated. Dry sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Pollinated by moths though hummingbirds may be attracted to the nectar.  Larval host plant for cofaqui giant skipp

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