Slower growing and generally smaller than live oak. Extremely drought tolerant. In environments where there is fire, this is often a small clonal shru , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Valued by the Florida scrub-jay for its acorns which are relatively low in tanins and often used as a nesting tree. Acorns used by woodpeckers and wil , Habitat, Scrub, sandhill, scrubby flatwoods, flatwoods, coastal hammocks. Increases in flatwoods under winter burn management. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for oak hairstreak (Fixsenia favonius), Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-b

Specimen plant, screen plant, understory tree/shrub. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts pollinators. Birds and other wildlife consume fruit. , Habitat, Upland hardwood forests, bluffs, secondary woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Larval host for the spring azure butterfly (Celastrina ladon). Both native and non-native viburnums (Viburnum spp.) attra

Very similar in appearance to several non-natives which are invasive pests, esp. N. cordifolia. If there are spherical tubers amongst the roots, it's , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, This can be aggressive. Be careful to plant it where you can contain it. , Habitat, Wet-dry sites. Swamps, hammocks, yards. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

May be semi-parasitic on the roots of other plants which makes it challenging to grow. Best planted near a potential host such as an oak. May die back , 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, Has thorns. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife will eat the fruit. , Habitat, Scrub, xeric hammocks, swamps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Thorns Attracts pollinators, especially bees.  Documented bees in clude Agapostemon splendens, Augochloropsis sumptuosa,

Younger specimens have a conical shape, but older trees tend to flatten out at the top. In some areas, the strangler fig (Ficus aurea)has strangled ma , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can produce knees, even if grown in uplands. , Wildlife, Attracts seed-eating birds. Valuable as roosting and nesting areas for colonial wading birds. , Habitat, Riverine swamps, large swamps around lakes. Inundated areas associated with some form of flowing water. Floodplains, sloughs, strands. May be assoc , Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for baldcypress sphinx (Isoparce cupressi) moth.

Can be cut back to improve appearance, but should not be severely pruned more than once a year. Spores cover undersides of leaves giving them a bi-col , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without injury. , Considertions, Not drought tolerant. , Wildlife, Used as cover. , Habitat, Brackish and freshwater marshes, swamps, river floodplains. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

There are three subspecies included in this description.  Together, they are found in all coastal counties of Florida and many inland ones.  As a gras , 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 , Wildlife, Muhly grass forms a low canopy that small animals can use for shelter and refuge. Small birds eat the seeds. , Habitat, Flatwoods, marshes, scrub. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage

Wildflower garden.  Low borders. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Pinelands, flatwoods, open hammocks, roadsides. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees.

Not much information is available on growing this species. Likely to be somewhat difficult to establish but very durable once established. Specimen p , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts pollinators, especially important for native bees. Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit. Larval food for hummingbird clearwing moth(Hem , Habitat, Dry, sandy, well-drained sites including scrub and sandhill. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits

It's quite hardy and tolerant of difficult environments. The herbarium specimen from Wakulla County is from a natural area.  It is a 2012 specimen and , 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, Good wildlife shelter.  Birds eat the fruits. , Habitat, Hammocks, pinelands, sloughs, seasonally flooded marshes in pine rocklands. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

The genus name honors the English botanist William Vernon, who did fieldwork in North America. Moist wildflower garden. Also useful to naturalize alo , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Hydric to moist savannas, openings along streams, wet pastures, floodplains, bluffs, bay swamps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar attracts native bees and butterflies.  Larval host for Spring azure.