The natural distribution in Florida is predominantly related to soil and drainage conditions.  If you provide them, it should grow successfully from L , 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 , Wildlife, Provides cover for birds and mammals.  Attracts deer and squirrels.  Deer browse can be so intense as to limit survival of saplings. , Habitat, Forested seepage areas, swamps, low stream banks , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Wildflower in moist garden, edge of water garden, understory plant in wet woods or stream edges , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. , Habitat, Riverine swamps, spring run swamps, bogs, in mats of floating vegetation, wet ditches. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers The nectar attracts various Swallowtail butterflies. Bumblebees will steal nectar through slits in the tubular corolla. Halictid bees s

Interesting silky-looking foliage. Tallish groundcover in mesic (moist) areas. Can be planted in groupings in shady areas. Despite the name, the leav , 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 , Wildlife, Dispersed by birds. , Habitat, Dry mesic to mesic and hydric hammock, second bottom, shell mounds, floodplains. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts bees and butterflies.

This forms clumps but does not form large clones, which means it will not take over a garden. Wildflower garden especially toward the back where heig , 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 , Wildlife, Songbirds such as goldfinches and sparrows eat the seeds, and mice and deer browse the foliage and flowers.  Birds feed on the insects collecting poll , Habitat, Typically a plant of mesic flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Used for nectar by butterflies. Attracts a wide variety of pollinators, especially bees.  Chauliognathus pensylvanicus is one or the ma

Specimen tree. Woodlands. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds, squirrels and other animals eat the seeds. , Habitat, Dry sites. Mixed forest. Often invades abandoned fields.

According to Kew Gardens, it is from Central America and probably Cuba and Florida.   After going through the photos and labels for specimens in the S , Tolerance, Unknown Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Noted for being weedy. , Habitat, Disturbed. Old orange groves, pasture, roadsides. May occur naturally along the west FL coast including shell mounds and dunes . All records for in , Did You Know?, Showy flowers

In nature, this grows in habitats with frequent fire.  In the garden, it will grow best if you remove built-up thatch (or burn it once every few years , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Flatwoods, sandhills. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage

Can be used as a groundcover in semi-shady areas. Perhaps more interesting than showy. , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt , Habitat, Moist, typically salty areas, dunes. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Nectar plant for Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri), great southern white (Ascia monuste), and other but

The blue tubular flower opens into 5 petal-like lobes with a white center. Several blossoms grow in a loose cluster. Narrow seed pods and dark yellow , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Ruby-throated hummingbirds are attracted to the nectar.  Avoided by mammalian herbivores. , Habitat, Flatwoods, chalky hills. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers The flowers attract long-tongued insects such as carpenter bees, hummingbird moths, and butterflies.  Not known to be a lar

Mass plantings, small specimen shrubs , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Foliage and seeds are food sources for birds and mammals. , Habitat, Hammock,mesic to dry mesic hardwood or mixed pine forest, flatwoods, floodplains, ruderal areas, sandhill, wet calcareous hammocks, secondary woods. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts insect pollinators, especially bees.

Weeping branches. Specimen tree, hedge, or screen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds Fruits are harvested by a variety of birds Birds are attracted to insects which are attracted by the flowers , Habitat, Rockland hammock. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts a variety of  bees and butterflies

It's paint-chip white and brown-green bark provides winter interest. The natural range is from  north Florida into southern Canada.  This species has , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Stream banks, in floodplains and bottomlands. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Fall color, Showy fruits, Hurricane wind resistance