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

Shade tree where falling/fallen nuts will not be a problem. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Slow growing. Nut and leaf litter may be a maintenance problem in residential landscapes. , Wildlife, Small mammals (squirrels and other rodents) consume nuts. , Habitat, Dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests , Did You Know?, Fall color Larval host for many moths including; luna moth (Actias luna), hickory leafroller moth (Argyrotaenia juglandana), royal walnut moth (Cithe

Endemic to western peninsular Florida from Tampa south to Charlotte County. Wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Sometimes the flower stalks are too tall and heavy to stand. Can be cut back mid-summer to reduce height. In a large garden, the twisted fallen stalks , Habitat, Flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees.

Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Mesic to wet flatwoods, seep slopes, bogs, savannas, ditches, secondary woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees.

Climbs by twining petioles. Grow on a trellis or fence. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, To remain attractive and not become a mass of past growth, cut it back occasionally. Thin out old stems. , Wildlife, Attracts  hummingbords. , Habitat, Riverine swamps, wet hammocks. This species can be seen near the boardwalks at Flint Creek and Sargeant Parks in Hillsborough County. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Larval host for mournful thyris (Thyris sepulchralis). Attracts bees and butterfli

The genus name honors the English botanist William Vernon, who did fieldwork in North America. Back of a moist wildflower garden. Can also use on the , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Exposed sand and gravel bars of streams during low water, stream banks, hydric to wet mesic pine flatwoods. Rich soils. Ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar attracts butterflies and native beens.  Larval host for spring azure butterfly.

Fruits are edible. Hedge or screen. , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Some say that it has a skunky odor, others cannot smell it. , Wildlife, Provides cover for wildlife (https://www.regionalconservation.org/). , Habitat, Coastal hammocks. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts pollinators, especially bees and moths. Larval host for tant

Climbs by twining. Train on a fence or arbor, allow to climb trees. Can be used as a groundcover but does not bloom well with that use. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds.  Birds attracted to the fruits include warblers, grosbeaks, cardinals, mockinbirds, titmice, chickadees, and thrashers. , Habitat, Mesic to xeric hardwood forests and upland mixed forests, secondary woods, bluffs, floodplains, flatwoods, ruderal. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Flowers attract bees and butterflies.  Bees include Habropoda laboriosa, Bornbus griseocollis, B

This is one of Florida's most showy and most under-appreciated wildflowers. Look for it along disturbed roadsides in mid-late winter and early spring. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Sharp thorn-like prickles cover most of the plant. Highly toxic. , Habitat, Ruderal areas. Common on dry roadsides. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Thorns Attracts pollinators including bees, flies, and beetles.  Documented bee species include  Apis mellifera (honeybee), Dialictus

This is one of the few Florida oaks that looks like an oak to most people from the eastern US north of Florida. Tends to be smaller toward the souther , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Difficult to transplant once it has formed its tap root. , Wildlife, Used by woodpeckers and wild turkey Valued by squirrels and other mammals including white tailed deer Used by birds for resting and nesting , Habitat, Sandhill, scrub, scrubby sandhill. Increases in sandhill where long leaf pines were removed and where burns are restricted to winter. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant forHorace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycop

Specimen tree in wet settings. This is a good plant to grow in floodplains. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Nut and leaf drop can be messy in a home landscape. , Wildlife, Ducks and other wildlife consume nuts. , Habitat, Swamps , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Larval host for many moths including; luna moth (Actias luna), hickory leafroller moth (Argyrotaenia juglandana), royal walnut mo

Wildflower garden. This is a small but pretty little plant. Grow it in a moist wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, It may be necessary to re-seed to keep this in the garden. Seed is not generally commercially available. This is the most toxic of the milkweeds and i , Habitat, Flatwoods , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Attracts various pollinators.