Prolific bloomer: very showy. Fragrant. Understory tree. Specimen plant 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, Birds and other animals eat the fruit. , Habitat, Understory of floodplain and wet forests, swamps, shoreline thickets, cypress-gum depressions. Most frequently where annually inundated or where wate , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators. Attracts butterflies. Host plant for promethea moth (Callosamia promethea).

Invasive in many parts of the world.  It is either a blessing or a pest in Florida depending on where it is. Good addition to a freedom lawn. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Will spread. , Habitat, Disturbed areas , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar attracts bees, butterflies and flies.

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.

It is listed as threatened by the state of Florida.  Should be acquired only from properly licensed sources. Specimen plant. Slow-growing hedge or ba , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without i , Considertions, Slow growing. , Wildlife, Used by birds for nesting and food. , Habitat, Pine rockland, rockland hammock, maritime hammock , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for monk skipper (Asbolis capucinus). Bees are attracted to the flowers (Khorsand 2009).

This species is almost endemic to Florida.  Its range overlaps into southern Georgia and southeastern Alabama. The range includes all of Florida thoug , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Said by Bok Tower to sometimes attract hummingbirds. Seeds likely dispersed by wind. , Habitat, Dry flatwoods, sandhill, ruderal areas. Well-drained upland habitats , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host to Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) Attracts bees.

Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Mesic to wet flatwoods, seep slopes, bogs, savannas, ditches, secondary woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees.

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.