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.

Two varieties exist, both occur in this area. Wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Scrub, scrubby flatwoods, dry flatwoods. Also known from some rockland areas in Miami-Dade County. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees. Documented bee visitors include  Agapostemon spleizdens, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis suinptuosa

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.

Three species occur in Florida. Please plant your local variety. Wildflower garden where it is very showy in late summer/early fall. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Some birds and small mammals consume consume the seeds (https://flawildflowers.org/). , Habitat, Dry flatwoods, sandhill, scrub. This species can be seen at the Starkey Wilderness Preserve in Pasco County. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia). Attracts insects, especially bees.

Although drought-tolerant, this shrub/small tree may benefit from a few deep, thorough soakings during extremely dry periods. When young, it tends to , 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 , Considertions, Thorns on trunks and branches. Place where flowers and fragrance can be enjoyed, but away from walkways. Can suffer from root rot if too wet. , Wildlife, The thorny branches make good cover for birds and other wildlife. Fruits are not generally valued. Attracts pollinators. There are 2 subspecies, V. fa , Habitat, Coastal uplands, ruderal, shell middens , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Attracts pollinators and uses ants both for protection against unwanted insects.

Based on maps from BONAP and ISB, this species ranges across the southern and central US and up the eastern seabord to Massachusetts.  The entire Flor , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Marsh and swamp edges , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Nectar attracts bees and many different kinds of butterflies. Documented bee visitors include Halictzcs ligatus, Dial

Low ground-hugging ground cover in restoration areas, in ditches, and on wetland edges. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, It can become aggressive in the right conditions. , Habitat, Lakes edges, stream floodplains, marshes, swamps , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host plant for white peacock (Anartia jatrophae) butterflies. Insect pollinated. Attracts low-flying butter

The range of this tree barely makes it into north Florida. It is much more common in the remainder of the southeast. Shade tree. The root system is f , 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, Fallen/falling acorns may be an issue. , Wildlife, Acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, songbirds, ducks, small mammals, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, quail and black bears Provides cover and nesting ar , Habitat, Floodplains, hardwood swamp borders. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Hurricane wind resistance Host plant for the banded hairstreak, Edward's hairstreak, gray hairstreak, white-M hairstreak, Horace's duskyw

The species is hermaphroditic (monecious), meaning flowers have both male and female reproductive structures on the same plant. This is a near-endemic , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Marshes and swamps , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Bee pollinated.

There is a natural dwarf form that is associated with xeric uplands.  I makes a nice, low-growing shrub in casual gardens. Good as a background or he , 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, It is flammable, so plant away from buildings in fire-prone areas. It fixes nitrogen with its roots like a legume, so it tolerates poor soils. , Wildlife, Good wildlife cover. Seeds eaten by birds. , Habitat, Wet-dry sites. Upland mixed forest, floodplains, wetland edges, cutthroat seeps, old fields, scrub, fencerows , Did You Know?, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for banded hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) and red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)butterflies.

This tree is subject to Dutch elm disease. Dutch elm disease has not been detected in Florida (IFAS 2008). In most of eastern North America, this tree , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, While Dutch elm disease has not been detected in Florida (IFAS, 2018), the planting practices that result in massive losses of street trees north of F , Wildlife, Seeds used by birds in spring when little else is available. Used for nesting. , Habitat, Floodplain forest, wet mesic forests, hardwood swamps. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage Larval host for: Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis), Painted Lady (Vanessa ca

Works well in a wildflower garden or as a low border plant. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Foliage and seeds are food source for birds and mammals. , Habitat, Sandhill, pine flatwoods, dry edges of sandhill lakes.. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts pollinators, especially bees.  Documented bees include Colletes sp. A, Hylaeus conflzcens, Augochlorella