Red/orange fall color is excellent. Leaves have three separate shapes: ovoid, tri-lobed, or mitten-shaped (left or right). Mature trees tend to have f , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Like other members of this family, sassafras trees are threatened by the spread of the redbay ambrosia beetle and the laural wilt fungus it carries. M , Wildlife, Birds consume fruit. , Habitat, Dry sites. Dry mesic forests. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Fall color, Interesting foliage Larval food for spicebush butterfly(Papilio troilus), tiger swallow-tail(papilio glaucus), palamede

Wetland wildflower garden. , 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 ( , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. , Habitat, Salt, brackish, or fresh water marshes, sloughs, ditches, borders of mangrove and other swamps, wet forest clearings. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and various pollinators. , Propagation, Fruit ones don't come true from seed so propagate vegetatively with either cuttings or by grafting onto a hardy rootstock. , Did You Know?, The plant is smaller, typically a large shrub, and more cold hardy. The fruits are sweet, with a thinner, edible red skin and the white flesh interior

Shade tree. It is known for its smooth light gray bark. Its leaves turn yellow and then light brown remaining on the tree until nearly spring and prov , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, This is a large tree that will produce dense shade and many root suckers. Take this into consideration when deciding where to plant it. Slow growing. , Wildlife, Fruits (a nut in a bur) are valued by wildlife.  Tree valued for nesting by some songbirds. , Habitat, Upland, mesic to dry mesic hardwood forests. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Fall color, Interesting foliage Larval host for walnut sphinx (Amorpha juglandis).

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.

It is listed as Endangered by the state of Florida. Understory tree. Use as screen or specimen plant. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and small mammals. Hummingbirds visit the flowers. , Habitat, Rockland hammock in coastal areas. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Nectar plant for Schaus' swallowtail (Heraclides aristodemius) and other butterflies.

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

Tolerates winter flooding. This is a wetland plant. It is rarely grown, but it has potential in appropriate sites. Wet wildflower garden. For appeara , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Moist sites. Hydric and mesic pine flatwoods, edges of sloughs, savannas, bogs, ditches. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host of  Gray Hairstreak, Painted Lady Butterfly, Common Checkered Skipper and Tropical Checkered Skipper butterflies and  four

Litsea aestivalis is listed as Endangered by the State of Florida.  Since that listing, the laurel wilt disease has come to Florida, and is known to k , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and mammals. , Habitat, Near the edges of forested wetlands and some seasonal ponds wtih open centers. , Did You Know?, Attracts flies and small bees.  A likely host for the spicebush swallowtail butterfly.

Based on the BONAP range map, this species is a "near endemic" -- it occurs only in the panhandle and a 3 counties in southern Alabama. At this time, , Tolerance, Unknown Unknown , Wildlife, Small birds eat the seed. , Habitat, Wet flatwoods, bogs, savannahs, prairies , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar plant for many butterfly species but also visited by other native insect pollinators.

Flowers tend to appear in spring or after a significant rainfall. Otherwise inconspicuous. Small wildflower or plant in with other low groundcovers. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Dome swamp, wet flatwoods, wet prairie. In ditches, wet pastures, roadsides. Often in burned areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators.

Shade tree. This is a clone former, so it can also be used to provide screening or for an "island" of habitat for wildlife , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Plant where its persistent bur-like fruits (gum balls) will not be underfoot. Also, its resinous leaves will stain cement driveways and car finishes. , Wildlife, Provides cover for birds and other animals. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. River bottoms, upland hardwood forests, roadsides. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for luna (Actias luna) moths.

Weedy. Casual wildflower garden, butterfly garden or meadow. Likely to be considered a weed by many. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Will reseed and can become weedy. , Habitat, Wet flatwoods, wet prairie, open transitional prairie bordering cypress swamps, wet roadside ditches. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and pollinators.