The wood is weak. Shade tree. Semi-evergreen with leaves falling just before new leaves emerge. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Acorns can be a maintenance problem. , Wildlife, Provides cover for and nesting areas for birds and squirrels The acorns are used by squirrels, turkeys, and deer . , Habitat, Floodplains, seep slopes, mesic secondary woods. May invade flatwoods if there is fire exclusion. , Did You Know?, Larval host plant for Horace's dusky wing (Erynnis horactius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) and white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) b

Understory tree, use as a background plant or screen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Floodplains, rich woodlands, upland mixed forest. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy fruits Larval host for the giant swallowtail. Carrion flies pollinate the flowers.

Wet garden. Rain garden. Shade tree for wet areas and along wetland edges. Leaves turn yellow in fall. Slow growing. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and smal mammals. , Habitat, Floodplain forests , swamps, usually in water. , Did You Know?, Fall color Visited by bees and valued by commercial bee keepers as a source of exceptionally sweet honey.  Also said to be wind pollinated.

Can be used as an accent plant or grown in the mid-rear of the garden. Also suitable in wildflower gardens. Its broad tolerance of soil and moisture c , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, The coarse foliage and prickly balls of flowers are not popular as a source of food with mammalian herbivores, although they may nibble off the ends o , Habitat, Moist-moist-wet sites. Cutthroat seeps, savannas, wet flatwoods, wet prairie, coastal flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butte

Informal shady semi-shady gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Moist hardwood forests , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts bees, butterflies.  Larval host for common buckeye (Junonia coenia).

Moist wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Wet prairie, wet pine flatwoods, fresh to brackish marshes, bogs, ditches, swamps. Especially in areas where limestone is close to the surface. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many pollinators; is especially important for native bees.

Grows well well north of its native range.  Documented in very southern counties with an outlier in Martin County -- that outlier is also unique in th , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can get messy after cold spells. , Wildlife, Seeds are eaten by birds.  Provides cover for lizzards and other small animals. , Habitat, Pine rockland. Also cultivated. Dry sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Larval host for Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus).

Wood is dense (hard). Listed as Threatened by the FDACS. Screen plant. Specimen shrub or small tree -- you can choose based on how you opt to prune ( , 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 , Wildlife, Cover and food primarily for birds. , Habitat, Coastal hammocks.

The author treats this as a friendly weed. Pull them if where there is something more desirable. Back of a wildflower garden in a casual setting. Gro , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Reseeds overly enthusiastically and may become weedy as the year progresses. , Habitat, Ruderal, disturbed hammocks. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage

Primarily useful for coastal restoration projects. , Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation) High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and , Wildlife, Attracts birds.  Nesting and resting habitat. , Habitat, Salt marshes, dunes. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)is a very destructive wood-boring beetle native to Asia. It was discovered in North America in July 2002, a , 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, Fairly weak and often irregular in shape. , Wildlife, Rodents and birds such as cardinals consume seed. , Habitat, Moist-dry sites. Floodplains and swamps. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Larval host for eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme

Very thorny. In the northern parts of its range, a thornless cultivar is planted. Specimen tree. To avoid insect issues, best not to plant in large n , 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, Very sharp thorns. Tree is short-lived in the southern parts of its range (includes Florida). , Wildlife, The seed pods have edible sweet pulp and are eaten by deer, opossums, squirrels, crows, starlings, and  quail. , Habitat, Upper portions of riverine floodplains, fertile uplands, stream banks. Planted in upland areas. , Did You Know?, Thorns Larval host for Epargyreus clarus (Silver-Spotted Skipper) and several moths including Catocala innubens (The Betrothed), Catocala minuta (Lit