Natural landscapes including meadows and butterfly gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Purple thistle is a thorny plant - be very careful when handling. , Wildlife, The seeds are rich in oil, an important food source for seed-eating birds. , Habitat, Coastal plain, edges of salt marshes, pinewoods, prairies and disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Larval host to little metalmark (Calephelis virginiensis) and painted lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies. N

Specimen plant. Slow growing. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Leaves have sharp spines. It's dioecious; so make sure you have at least one male plant in the vicinity to produce berries on the females. , Wildlife, Fruits principally eaten by birds. , Habitat, Scrub. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Thorns Pollinated by bees.  Documented bee species include Augochloropsis sumptuosa, Megachilepetulans and Xylocop

Lacy specimen plant in wet settings. Useful in fern gardens or beside a shady water feature. Useful around drainage ponds. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Needs periodic removal of old fronds. , Habitat, Dome swamp, cutthroat seep. Wet woods, usually with acid soil. Shallow swamps, bogs, shallow ponds, stream banks, hydric seep slopes. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Retain if present. Can be used as part of a screen in a dry site setting. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Slow growing. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Cutthroat seeps, scrub, scrubby flatwoods, scrub. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts bees.  The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Lyonia fruticosa at Archbold Biologica

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).

Bahama ladder brake hybridizes with the non-native and invasive China brake (P. vittata) forming Delchamps' ladder brake (P. x delchampsii). Bahama la , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Needs periodic removal of old fronds -- cut the clumps back in winter or early spring. , Habitat, Pine rockland, sinkhole (edges). On limestone. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Shade tree. Forest tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Birds, squirrel and other wildlife consume the acorns. , Habitat, Xeric to dry-mesic pine-oak-hickory woods, sometimes on bluff microsites. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for the white-M hairstreak.

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.

The blue fruits on this tree are actually fleshy cones. Often used as a screen by planting in one or two fairly dense rows. Also useful as a backgrou , 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 , Wildlife, Birds eat the fruit-like cones and use the foliage for cover. , Habitat, Calcareous soils, shell mounds, coastal hammocks, second growth on open rocky fields. Open. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance

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

Hedges, screens. , 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, Reseeds. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit and use the privet for cover.  Especially important for songbirds because the fruits mature before most oth , Habitat, Dry sites. Coastal hammocks, coastal scrub, thickets. , Did You Know?, Hurricane wind resistance Pollinated by bees.

Shoreline stabilizer or plant as cover in a pond. Can tolerate wide water level fluctuations. Frequently used in marsh restoration and wetland creatio , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Has deep, aggressive rhizomes and is difficult to control in a garden setting once established but highly valuable if used for stabilization or marsh , Wildlife, Provides cover for small fish and aquatic invertebrates. Seeds eaten by some birds and small animals. , Habitat, Basin marsh (maidencane marsh), ponds, streams, sloughs, swamps, wet disturbed sites, sandhill. This species may become domininant in wetlands with , Did You Know?, Larval host for clouded skipper (Lerema accius) and Delaware skipper (Anatrytone logan) butterflies.