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).

There is potential name confusion with this species since it was formerly considered to be a subspecies of O. hirtellus (Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. s , 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 , Considertions, Unfortunately, this low growing grass is not visible during winter-spring, so its use is somewhat restricted to areas where this is not an issue. , Habitat, Moist sites. Shade. Moist hammocks. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Larval host for Carolina satyr (Hermeuptychia sosbius) butterfliy (IRC)

Groundcover for moist to wet sites. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Wetlands and ditches , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Interesting foliage Attracts bees and small butterflies.

The range map for this species suggests that it might occur in the ApalachicolaRiver floodplains even where it had not been documented. Shade tree. T , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Fallen/falling acorns can be a maintenance issue. , Wildlife, Acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, blue jays, ducks, small mammals, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer and black bear Provides c , Habitat, Floodplains of large rivers, predominantly the greater Apalachicola River system. , Did You Know?, Hurricane wind resistance Host plant for the banded hairstreak, Edwards' hairstreak, gray hairstreak, white-M hairstreak Horace's duskywing and the J

The Florida Wildflower Foundation has a good pamphlet that includes culture of this species. Gray-green, fine foliage, border plant or individual spe , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Scrub, sandhill. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Attracts many pollinators, especially bees (https://hawthornhillwildflowers.blogspot.com/).

Closely related plants occur in the Caribbean and Central America. Yellow or orange flowering plants are not the Florida native. In recent years plant , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, This species is cold sensitive and will die back if it freezes. Usually resprouts from the base. There are recent observations of the plant in north F , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals eat the fruits and disperse seeds. Hummingbirds come for nectar , Habitat, Dry sites. Coastal forests, upland forests, hammocks. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for the pluto sphinx moth Butterflies, noted for attracting zebrawing  Attracts long-tongued bee

This species may not survive well near the southern end of its range especially if grown in full sun and droughty conditions. And even if it does surv , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Very sensitive to appropriate soils. Does poorly in neutral or alkaline soils. Dogwoods do not tolerate heavy foot traffic or extra soil piled around , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals consume the fruit , Habitat, Mesic hardwood forests, pine-oak-hickory woods, mesic longleaf pinelands. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, and butterflies.  La

This species is broadly planted. It is one of the few native trees that is widely available. Noted for its twisty form, tolerance of root damage, and , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure t , Considertions, Massive low hanging branches often droop to touch the ground--make sure you allow plenty of room for this tree. Can be somewhat messy especially if lo , Wildlife, Acorns provide a good food source for many types of birds and mammals. Good nesting habitat for birds and squirrels.  The acorns are low in tannins. H , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock, pine rockland in fire-suppressed areas and near tropical rockland hammock, upper edges of floodplains, margins of ponds and , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)

Flower color varies, which gives the plant a multi-hued array of flowers. Listed as Threatened in Florida Specimen plant where its showy, multi-color , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Good cover for birds, and birds and other wildlife enjoy the fruit. , Habitat, Pine rockland, rockland hammock. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for the Florida duskywing (Ephyriades brunneus). Nectar plant for a variety of butterflies.

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.

Retain if in the landscape. Can be used as a specimen plant in areas not subject to root disturbance. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Said to be difficult to transplant as it does not tolerate root disturbance. Grows slowly. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife eat the seeds but it is not a favorite. , Habitat, River floodplains , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Fall color, Interesting foliage Larval plant for tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), striped hairstreak (Satyrium liparops), and r

Its more upland relative, Nyssa sylvatica, grows well in sandy uplands and is highly similar in appearance. Somewhat slow growing. Grows naturally in , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruite eaten by birds and small to medium sized animals. , Habitat, Dome swamps, strand swamps. Tolerates extended periods of inundation. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Hurricane wind resistance Pollinated by bees.