It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida and as critically imperiled in South Florida by The Institute for Regional Conservation. Specimen shrub. Foliage is shiny, attractive. Grown mostly for its interesting, translucent fruits.

Wildflower garden.

Rare and listed as endangered. Please obtain this plant only from reputable native plant nurseries or friends -- do not harvest from the wild. Little is known about the culture of this species. Other Silene species do well if divided at the crown during the winter every few years. Groundcover.

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.  Please choose those that are appropriate for your area. Wildflower garden. All the species listed should grow well in garden settings. They are all grown for their showy flowers (most are yellow, though we do have one with small dark red ray flowers).

Based on the BONAP range map, this species is a "near endemic" -- it occurs only in the panhandle and a 3 counties in southern Alabama. At this time, the Florida Plant Atlas shows two outlying collections.  One (Alachua County) appears to have been removed by the herbarium that "has" the specimen, the other (St. Lucie County) is a 1980 literature citation with apparently no specimen.   Neither is shown on our map. Bog gardens, sunny areas with moist soil.  Only likely to be noticed when blooming.

Wildflower garden, meadow.

Blooms all year. Recruits readily in the garden from seed. Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gardens.

Bahama ladder brake hybridizes with the non-native and invasive China brake (P. vittata) forming Delchamps' ladder brake (P. x delchampsii). Bahama ladder break is threatened with extinction due to this hybridization. Because of this, we do not recommend planting Bahama ladder break -- if we plant it and there is any China brake around, we exacerbate the problem. When you find this plant in nature, please enjoy it there. Listed as threatened by the state of Florida. Grows in clumps. Unusual in that it thrives in high light, but needs moist soil.

Moist wildflower garden.

Despite the appearance of the county-based range map, the actual range is limited to the coastal areas. Wildflower garden. Groundcover.

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 that it is not infected! This and other bays are being attacked by a fatal disease (laurel wilt disease). Avoid spreading this plant, it is best not to plant this or other bays.

Wild cotton is a rare plant; it needs protection against missuses and protection against removal from natural populations. Use as a short-lived "shrub". Dies back with freezing but will re-sprout from the roots. Use as a specimen plant.

Persimmon wood is very hard and nearly black--it's in the ebony family. Typically grown for its fruit. Plant in full sun. Also useful as an early successional tree in old field restoration.

Large clump-forming grass with uses as tall groundcover, specimen plant, or border plant. Nice along edges of ponds and water features.

Predominantly a Florida plant, but it has also been recorded in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Texas. The species name "tomentosa" refers to the dense, matted (tomentose) hairs on the leaves. Aphids are often a "problem" with milkweed plants -- they are a natural preditor on Asclepias, but we don't like them. Wildflower garden, dry wildflower meadow