The tuber of this plant is edible and very crisp; it adds texture to salads.  The tuber has a segmented appearance reminiscent of a rattlesnake tail. This plant can be mowed and used in a "freedom lawn" but be aware that it spreads.  The plant was considered to be a Florida endemic but began to spread in the 1940s and 1950s.  It is known as an aggressive weed in most areas outside of Florida. In a meadow, where its aggressiveness is an asset. Can be a low maintenance roadside plant. Difficult to recommend for most landscape uses.

Specimen shrub. Fine foliage. Does well adjacent to structures or woods.

Small specimen plant in wet areas.  Does well in bog gardens and rain gardens or bioswales.

Wind pollinated.  Dioecious.  According to Huegel (2010), the flowers attract insects. Plant tree in areas where fallen fruit will not be an issue.

Hedges, screens.

Younger specimens have a conical shape, but older trees tend to flatten out at the top. In some areas, the strangler fig (Ficus aurea)has strangled many mature bald cypress trees--The Corkscrew Swamp is an example of this. Can be used as a specimen tree, planted in floodplain areas, or planted in relatively moist uplands. Large rain gardens and bioswales. Tolerant of root disturbance, so a candidate for use as a street/parking lot tree.

This species is listed as invasive in Australia. Foundation plantings, small speciment plants. Of year-round interest since it has both blooms and fruits nearly all year.