The showy part of this plant is the bracts which are pink to lavender. Flowers are actually small, whitish to yellowish, with purple spots. Wildflowe , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Can get rangy and fall over, but trimming in early summer will keep it bushier. , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. , Habitat, Dry disturbed areas, old fields, and upper sand dunes. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Attracts many bees, butterflies, and moths.

Blooms open late in the day and remain open through the night. Fragrant. Can be agrown as an anuual north of its native range.  Considered to be invas , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Extremely vigorous, may overtop other plants. Can be planted further north but should be treated as an annual. , Habitat, Disturbed wetland and lake edges, mangrove fringes. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Pollinated by moths.

Fragrant. Understory tree in moist areas. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruit eaten by birds and other animals. , Habitat, Bluffs, ravines, in understory of well-drained hardwood forests. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Attracts bees and other pollinators. Attracts butterflies.

In a 2020 study of salt in irrigation water (https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/55/7/article-p1119.xml), this species was found t , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Can become weedy. , Wildlife, Attracts  hummingbirds. , Habitat, Dry sites. Open, ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies.

While native in Florida, this species is invasive in other areas, especially the Pacific Northwest. Aquatic species with floating leaves and flowers. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Could overrun small ponds or water features. , Habitat, Aquatic. Marshes, swamps in openings, still water. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Flies, bees, and beetles have been recorded.

Many cultivars have been developed or found in the wild ranging from weeping forms to little round balls ('Shillings'). To get fruits, both a male and , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon ( , Considertions, Tends to produce suckers, which can be removed if you wish to have a specimen tree. It's dioecious; so make sure you have at least one male plant in t , Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds. , Habitat, Coastal scrub, coastal dunes, coastal flatwoods, river swamps, scrub, secondary woods, pine-oak-hickory woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Bees pollinate flowers.