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Rudbeckia spp.
Multiple species are native to Florida.  Most are attractive and many are easy to grow.  This is a catch-all for species not listed individually.  Ple , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Small seed-eating birds pick out the seeds from the mature flower heads. , Habitat, Vary by species. Mostly sandhills, bogs, roadsides, ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attract butterflies, bees and wasps.
  • Long emerald crownshaft
  • Can be grown indoors
  • Somewhat drought tolerant
  • Colorful new leafs
  • No longer recommended
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Myrsine cubana
It's quite hardy and tolerant of difficult environments. The herbarium specimen from Wakulla County is from a natural area.  It is a 2012 specimen and , 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, Good wildlife shelter.  Birds eat the fruits. , Habitat, Hammocks, pinelands, sloughs, seasonally flooded marshes in pine rocklands. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
  • Long-lived perennial
  • Christmas tree shape
  • Formal, old-world appearance
  • Beautiful shiny green leaves
  • Heavy feeder
Colicwood
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Pinus palustris
Highly tolerant of fire once established. Shade tree. Woodland tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Huge pine cones litter the ground, so not a good tree for a lawn. , Wildlife, Known for its use by squirrels, especially fox squirrels. Birds also eat the nuts. Old trees in well managed (properly burned) natural sandhill and fl , Habitat, Sandhill, mesic to dry flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Hurricane wind resistance
  • Rapid growth
  • Dark green leaves
  • Colorful new leafs
  • Requires shade when young
  • Majestic, sprawling canopy
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Psychotria ligustrifolia
Specimen or hedge plant. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Birds and other animals use the fruits , Habitat, Tropocal hammocks, pine flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts bees and wasps, some flies, and other pollinators.
  • Extremely versatile
  • Distinctive-looking fruit with spiked exterior
  • Beautiful rounded canopy
  • Majestic and graceful
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Quercus austrina
Relatively small for an oak. Use as specimen tree or in a grove. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds, squirrels, racoons, deer and other wildlife eat the seeds. , Habitat, Well drained bottomlands and bluffs. , Did You Know?, Larval host for brown duskywing butterfly (Erynnis horatius), and gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), and white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album).
  • Damaged by citrus canker
  • Uncommon edible fruit
  • Rapid growth
  • Unique foliage and silhouette
  • Very fast growth rate
Bastard White Oak
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Gordonia lasianthus
Makes a good specimen tree or a cluster of in wet areas along margins of lakes and ponds. This tree is columnar in form and can make a formal-looking , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Sensitive to drying. Difficult to grow unless its moisture requirements are met. , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. , Habitat, Moist-wet sites. Seepage swamps, bay swamps, edges of cypress domes, low flatwoods. This species is likely restricted to wetland edges both by its ne , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Flowers attract a variety of insects including bees and flies.
  • Heavy feeder
  • Attractive contrast between flowers and foliage
  • Beloved in South Florida
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Cornus alternifolia
Small specimen tree. Can also work as an understory tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals consume the fruit. , Habitat, Slope forest, upland hardwood forest. Bluffs, creek forests. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host for cecropia silkmoth (Hyalophora cecropia) and spring azure butterfly (Celastrina ladon).
  • Smaller stature
  • Imposing stature
  • Does best with periodic fertalization
  • Easily trimmed to maintain desired size
  • Susceptible to breakage, even in moderate winds
  • Not a true pine
Pagoda Dogwood
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Dalea feayi
Foliage has a strong minty smell. Dry wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Some birds consume consume the seeds . , Habitat, Scrub, scrubby flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia). Attracts pollinators, especially bees.  Documented native bees inc
  • Bright red fruits
  • Long-lived perennial
  • Delicious edible fruit
Scrub Prairie Clover
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Bletia purpurea
Retain if present in natural setting. Can be grown in a wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Pine rocklands, swampy forests on stumps and logs just above high water levels, in humus. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers The flowers do not produce nectar but use food deception to attract various bees including Euglossa, Thygater and Melipona, a genus of
  • Width often exceeds height
  • Raised diamond-shaped trunk pattern
  • Colorful older leaves
  • Attractive contrast between flowers and foliage
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Helianthus radula
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals eat the seeds. , Habitat, Flatwoods. Moist to dry roadsides. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts a variety of pollinators including bees.   Attracts butterflies.
  • Not as popular as it once was
  • Showy creamy white flowers
  • Highly nutritious fruit
  • Relatively compact and narrow canopy
  • Striking silhouette
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Aronia arbutifolia
Often grows with ink berry and palmettos. Beautiful early spring-blooming shrub. Grow at edge of wooded areas or as a specimen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Various birds eat the berries including titmice, nuthatches, warblers, chickadees, cardinals, grosbeaks, and orioles. , Habitat, Wet sites. Seep slopes, wet flatwoods, edges of swamps. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Fall color, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Flowers attract bees and butterflies.  Pollinated by bees.
  • Massive stature
  • Very rare
  • Stunning colorful foliage
  • Very full crown
  • Briefly bare for about a month in the winter
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Vallesia antillana
It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida and as critically imperiled in South Florida by The Institute for Regional Conservation. Specimen , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock, coastal rock barren, beach dune, coastal strand. Lower Keys only. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
  • Lush, dense shade tree
  • Beloved in South Florida
  • Deciduous
  • Highly wind tolerant
  • Highly salt tolerant
  • Underutilized
Tearshrub
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Hibiscus coccineus
Its deeply divided leaves look somewhat like marijuana leaves(Cannabis spp.). Specimen plant in moist areas. There is also a white-flowered variant. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. , Habitat, Wet sites. Strands, sloughs, swamps, brackish and freshwater marshes; commonly in water. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host of  Gray Hairstreak, Painted Lady Butterfly, Common Checkered Skipper and Tropical Checkered Skipper b
  • Attractive variegated foliage
  • Tiered branches
  • Abundance of orange-red flowers in summer
  • Elegant
  • Often hosts orchids, ferns and bromiliads
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Persea humilis
Do not plant this plant unless you are absolutely sure that it is not infected by laurel wilt disease.  In general, this small bay seems to be escapin , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, This small tree appears to less likely to be killed by laurel wilt than Florida's other bays.. It is likely that it is too small to attract the beetle , Wildlife, Fruits eaten and dispersed by birds. , Habitat, Dry sites. Scrub, high pine, scrubby sandhill. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Larval host plant for palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes) and spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) butterflies. Attracts
  • Decorative diamond-shaped trunk pattern
  • Very fast growth rate
  • Attractive light to medium green crownshaft
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Liatris savannensis
Endemic to western peninsular Florida from Tampa south to Charlotte County. Wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Sometimes the flower stalks are too tall and heavy to stand. Can be cut back mid-summer to reduce height. In a large garden, the twisted fallen stalks , Habitat, Flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees.
  • Salt tolerant
  • Very slow growth
  • Does best in warmer areas of South Florida
  • Sprawling and informal shrub
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Sporobolus virginicus
Useful in coastal restoration or retained along a coastal shoreline for stabilization. Salt marsh coastal stabilizer. Low dune stabilizer. Groundcove , Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation) High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and , Habitat, Dunes, salt marshes, disturbed saline areas.
  • Massive, nutrient-dense edible fruit
  • Showy clusters orange-yellow fruits in spring
  • Year-round blooms
  • Beautiful pinwheel flowers, often multicolored
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Asimina parviflora
Small tree appropriate to moist areas. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Small mammals and birds harvest the fruit. , Habitat, Floodplains. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host for zebra swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) and pawpaw sphinx (Dolba hyloeus). Pollinated by flies and
  • Huge extremely fragrant flowers
  • Fragrant in the evening
  • Breathtaking and memorable
  • Delicious edible fruit
  • Unique, stout pineapple-like trunk when young
  • Thick branching into attractive silouttes
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Helianthus agrestis
This is Florida's only native annual sunflower.  The Bradford County location is near both a major road and a railroad and may be a waif. Moist wildf , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals eat the seeds. , Habitat, Pinelands, savannas, ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Primarily pollinated by bees. The goldenrod soldier beetle (a.k.a. leatherwing beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) is a goldenrod pol
  • Showy reddish peeling bark
  • Very showy clusters of red flowers
  • Grows tall, but not massive
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Crinum americanum
This is a wetland plant, but it will do well once established in a moist garden setting. Moist wildflower gardens. Easily grown along streams. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Riverine swamps, riverine marshes, open wet prairies. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Pollinated by sphinx moths. Larval host for Spanish moth a.k.a. convict caterpillar (Xanthopastis timais)
  • Easily trimmed for smaller spaces
  • Elegant
  • Adequate fertalization required
  • Tall and romantic
  • Can be trimmed into manicured shapes
Swamp Lily
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Dalea pinnata
Three species occur in Florida. Please plant your local variety. Wildflower garden where it is very showy in late summer/early fall. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Some birds and small mammals consume consume the seeds (https://flawildflowers.org/). , Habitat, Dry flatwoods, sandhill, scrub. This species can be seen at the Starkey Wilderness Preserve in Pasco County. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia). Attracts insects, especially bees.
  • Majestic, sprawling canopy
  • Prominant gray-olive crownshaft
  • Tiered branches
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Persea palustris
This species and other members of the Lauraceae are being attacked by a serious, fatal disease. Do not plant this plant unless you are absolutely sure , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Do not move deadwood. It will spread the disease. , Wildlife, Seed eaten and dispersed by birds. , Habitat, Shallow areas in swamps, hydric savannas, seep slopes including cutthroat seeps, wet flatwoods, sloughs. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance Larval host plant for palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes) and spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) butterflies. Attracts be
  • Unusually shaped, asymmetrical tree
  • Symmetrical shape
  • Not a true pine