This is a rare species in Florida. Retain it if present. Shade tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Squirrels, racoons, deer and other animals eat the acorns. , Habitat, Upland pine forest, pine-oak-hickory woods, bayheads. Slopes. , Did You Know?, Larval host for the white-M hairstreak.

Most plants sold as P. obtusifolia are from tropical American stock; local sources are recommended both to protect the genome and to enhance your like , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Swamps (epiphytic on trees/logs). , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage The floral morphology of Peperomia species suggests wind- and/or insect pollination, but not much is known.

In mild areas, plants sometimes persist through the winter and will bloom again. They need to be cut way back or they will not be attractive. Wildflo , 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, Readily self-seeds and can be fairly aggressive. , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds, nut-hatches, and warblers. , Habitat, Disturbed sites, calcareous bluffs, shell mounds. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies, bumblebees, and other pollinators.

Specimen plant, hedge plant. Large shrub to small tree. Large, showy, shiny leaves. , 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, Dioecious (separate male and female plants), so both male and female are required to get fruits. Mature fruits are not attractive (young fruits are ni , Wildlife, Fruit is eaten by birds and mammals.  Mockingbirds specifically are reported to enjoy the fruits. , Habitat, Coastal hammocks. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for tantalus sphinx (Aellopus tantalus) moths. Nectar plant for mangr

Foliage fragrant when crushed. Bayberry is an actinorhizal plant: its roots feature nitrogen fixing nodules formed in symbiosis with the nitrogen fixi , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Clonal: it usually sends up sprouts from its roots to form thickets. The wood is somewhat brittle, but it will grow back if cut to the ground. , Wildlife, Fuits are eaten by birds, especially yellow-rumped warblers (which are very efficient at digesting the waxy fruits), in the fall and winter (NC State , Habitat, Wet sites. Bogs, swamps, flatwoods depressions, cutthroat seeps. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Interesting foliage It is a host plant for the Red-banded Hairstreak butterfly  (NC State Extension Service)

The natural range of this plant is quite limited, but it has become a native landscaping favorite over a much broader range. Hedges, specimen shrubs, , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Bottomland forest, hydric hammock, baygall, banks of spring run and seepage streams, wet upland mixed forest. Can be seen near several of the spring r , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Insect pollinated.

Understory tree. Can be trimmed to keep sized as a shrub. Accent shrub or can be trained as a hedge. , 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, Slow growing. , Wildlife, Birds eat the fruit. , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock (borders), coastal berm. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits Insect pollinated.