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

Host plant for Zestos Skipper butterfly which is believed to be extirpated (extinct) in FLorida. Also used by Cassius blue, longtailed skipper, and Za , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Scrambling vine likely best suited to informal settings. Individual stems may be up to 10 ft long. , Habitat, Hammocks , Did You Know?, Larval host plant for cassius blue (Leptotes cassius), long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus), zestos skipper (Epargyreus zestos) and zarucco duskywing

Toxic  to humans. and some animals. Specimen plant, foundation planting, screen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Old stems should be pruned. Plant tends to sucker, so plant where suckers are an asset. , Wildlife, Some birds and other wildlife consume fruit.  Foliage is poisonous. , Habitat, Seepage areas, moist hammocks, swamps, river floodplains , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts bees and butterflies.

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.

Threatened in the State of Florida.  Please acquire plants from reputable sources with any needed permits. Specimen plant. Grown for its showy flower , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits used by birds. , Habitat, Pine rockland, tropical rockland hammock. Disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Insect pollinated, largely by bees.

Low growing groundcover. Can be used as a turf substitute in low traffic areas. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Dry-moist-wet sites. Disturbed wet prairies, ruderal areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host  for common buckeye (Junonia coenia), phaon crescent (Phyciodes phaon) and white peacock (Anartia jatr

Specimen tree, street or parking lot tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds and other animals eat the fruit. , Habitat, Hammocks, pine woods, mixed woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Pollinated by bees.

Rarely planted. Good background plant. Can make a good screen. Becomes scraggly if overly shaded, but may be trimmed back for bushier growth. Clonal. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds though it is bitter and often eaten as a last resort. , Habitat, Low flatwoods, cutthroat seeps, dry prairie, coastal swales, bogs, sinks. , Did You Know?, Bees pollinate flowers. Documented bees include Colletes banksi, C. brimleyi, C. inandibularis, C. nudus, Perdita floridensis, Agapostemon splendens,

Flowers open white and rapidly turn pink. Use as a specimen plant. Can also be used as a hedge. , 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, Attracts birds , Habitat, Dry sites. Coastal hammocks. Disturbed sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts various pollinators. Larval host for Florida white (Appias drusilla) butterfli

Foliage when crushed smells like citrus. This small tree has an elegant appearance that makes it suited to use as a specimen plant. The glossy evergr , 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, Potentially subject to laurel wilt disease. , Wildlife, Wildlife food plant. , Habitat, Tropical hammocks. This is naturally an understory tree and also as a colonizer of disturbed sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Insect pollinated.  Said to be a good honey plant (Haehle and  Brookwell 1999).

While most of these slow-growing trees were harvested for their wood, one Florida key retained its population because it was privately owned. It's now , 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, Very slow growing--as little as an inch per year after the seedling stage if not fertilized. , Wildlife, Catbirds and mockingbirds eat the seeds. (IRC) , Habitat, Rockland hammock. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for lyside sulphur (Kricogonia lyside) butterflies. (IR

This species is broadly planted. It is one of the few native trees that is widely available. Noted for its twisty form, tolerance of root damage, and , 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, Massive low hanging branches often droop to touch the ground--make sure you allow plenty of room for this tree. Can be somewhat messy especially if lo , Wildlife, Acorns provide a good food source for many types of birds and mammals. Good nesting habitat for birds and squirrels.  The acorns are low in tannins. H , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock, pine rockland in fire-suppressed areas and near tropical rockland hammock, upper edges of floodplains, margins of ponds and , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)