Small to medium tree often with somewhat scruffy form. Retain in a natural setting if present.

To avoid introgression with other H. debilis subspecies, do not grow them in a common garden. Ground cover in sandy, open environments.

Moist wildflower garden. Wetland garden. Plant in full sun and give it plenty of room and plant behind shorter plants.

Similar in general appearance to St. Augustine grass. To look nice as a turf grass, seashore paspalum requires water and fertilizer and needs frequent mowing. High tolerance for heat and salt and will tolerate some shade. Tolerates some traffic and can recover quickly from moderate wear during spring and summer, but not suited to heavy uses such as ball fields. There is question on how appropriate it is to consider the cultivated varieties native. The range in Florida is essentially the sandy coastal areas.  A few other herbarium specimens appear to have been gathered from disturbed areas.  Given that this species is being used as a turf grass, we can expect it to occasionally occur outside of its historic settings. Used as a turf grass or in a wet meadow.

Background shrub.

Wildflower garden, meadow.

Each stem has soft, fleshy green flanges running longitudinally down its length. When winter weather brings ice, the stems exude water that freezes into fascinating shapes, hence its common name frostweed. Background plant in a wildflower garden. Also useful as a mass planting along a forest edge. This plant is best used in informal settings and does well if allowed to naturalize.

Listed as Threatened in Florida.  Please acquire only from appropriately licensed sources. Specimen tree or understory tree.

Requires a reliable cold period to persist. In most of Florida it can be treated as an annual in gardens. Listed as Endangered by the State of Florida.  While this is a common garden plant in the north, its range barely reaches Florida, and it is rare and exists only in a highly specific habitate in the wild. Works well in almost any garden with mixed wildflower species. North of Florida, this species is sometimes planted as single-species mass plantings.

Multistemmed shrub that can form small thickets. Plant as a screen, hedge, or background plant.

This tree has male and female plants. Females have red berry-like cones. This species is extremely rare.  Be sure to obtain this plant from properly licensed nurseries. Use as a specimen plant either as a small tree or large shrub.

It is listed as Threatened by the state of Florida. Naturalistic landscapes.

This fern is listed as Threatened by the FDACS.  Where is it, however, it is highly robust. Borders, groundcover on wooded edges. This is a very tall fern, so best planted toward the back of a garden.

Host plant for Zestos Skipper butterfly which is believed to be extirpated (extinct) in FLorida. Also used by Cassius blue, longtailed skipper, and Zarucco duskywing Grown by enthusiasts.

Plant as a small understory tree. Good as a general background plant that is appropriate to wildlife.

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.

Wildflower garden. Mass plantings.

Retain if present in natural setting. Can be grown in a wildflower garden.

Its deeply divided leaves look somewhat like marijuana leaves(Cannabis spp.). Specimen plant in moist areas. There is also a white-flowered variant.

Compound leaf has "wings" of tissue along the leaf-stem (rachis). This is one of the few shrubs that produces brilliant red fall color in much of Florida.

Endemic to the sand ridges of  central and northern peninsular Florida. Forms a thicket with many sprouts from  underground stems.