Filters
Sort
Sort
Sort By :
By :
Grid View
List View
Cirsium horridulum
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
- Swollen, succulent branches
- Attracts butterflies and bees
- Readily pruned into attractive shapes
- Lovely dark green, shiny leaves
- Mostly bare in the coldest months
Ulmus americana
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
- Beautiful pinwheel flowers, often multicolored
- Very full crown
- Ideal with Mediterranean architecture
Ilex opaca
Both male and female plants required for pollination and seed set.
Specimen tree. Screen.
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
,
Considertions, Sharp spines (teeth) on leaves.
,
Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds.
,
Habitat, Upland woods, second bottom but will not tolerate long flooding. Often an understory plant.
Documented in Lee County in a site likely to be natural.
,
Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
Bees pollinate flowers.
- Fruit eaten by birds
- Does best in warmer areas of South Florida
- Moderately slow growth
Physocarpus opulifolius
This plant is rare in Florida. It is much more common further north where it is absolutely spectacular in early spring.
Specimen plant. It can be pru
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
,
Habitat, Seep stream (banks). Further north, it also occurs along lake edges.
,
Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
Mining bees are known to be frequent pollinators of ninebark flowers. Both short and long-tongu
,
Tolerance
,
Habitat
,
Did You Know?
- Completely bare in winter
- Edible, healthy fruit
- Unusually shaped, asymmetrical tree
- Requires ample space and light
- Striking silhouette
- Unique flowers, with petals like banana peels
Iva frutescens
Retain in the landscape for coastal protection where present. Used for dune restoration.
,
Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation)
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and
,
Wildlife, Provides some cover for wildlife and maybe some foods.
,
Habitat, Salt marsh, dunes.
,
Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
- Highly nutritious fruit
- Abundance of orange-red flowers in summer
- Unique, sweet, almond-like flavor
- Pineapple-like showy fruits (female plants)
Erithalis fruticosa
This plant is considered to be Threatened in Florida. Please preserve in the landscape and acquire new plants in an environmentally sound manner (seed
,
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, Wildlife food and shelter.
,
Habitat, Coastal scrub, hammocks, pine rocklands, coastal flats.
,
Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
- Somewhat drought tolerant
- Narrow enough for tight spaces
- Attractive variegated foliage
- Prominent pale green crownshaft
Polystichum acrostichoides
The range of this species includes much of eastern North America up into southern Canada. Its occurrence in Florida is sparse with appropriate substr
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
,
Considertions, Benefits from periodic removal of old fronds.
,
Habitat, Rocky hammocks and upper margins of swamps.
,
Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- No longer recommended
- Highly wind tolerant
- Stately and uncommon
- Unusual stilt roots
- Beloved in South Florida
Erythrina herbacea
Forming a thicket for wildlife protection.
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without i
,
Considertions, It has thorns, but they are rather small.
The seeds of Cherokee bean are poisonous and purportedly used for rat poison in Mexico.
,
Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds.
Due to its dense foliage and thorny stems, coral bean serves as a refuge for small birds and animals.
,
Habitat, Dry sites. Upland mixed forest, thickets, tropical hammocks, coastal dunes, sandhill, flatwoods, tropical hammock, pine rocklands. This species can b
,
Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Thorns
Attracts long-tongued pollinators.
- Cornerstone plant in South Florida
- Unique, sweet almond flavor
- Compact and versatile
- Healthy edible fruit
- Flowers year round
Rudbeckia laciniata
Very robust. Forms large patches. Given its potential to be very tall, it may needs to have support from adjacent plants.
Data on salt tolerance c
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
,
Wildlife, Seeds eaten by small birds such as finches.
,
Habitat, Forests
,
Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts bumble bees, butterflies
Larval host for the silvery checkerspot, found only in extreme north Florida.
- Lovely dark green, shiny leaves
- Prominant olive crownshaft
- Elegant appearance
- Forms an open canopy
- Flowers profusely year round
- Adequate fertalization required
Vaccinium stamineum
Specimen shrub. Fine foliage. Does well adjacent to structures or woods.
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
,
Considertions, Requires acid soil.
,
Wildlife, Attracts many pollinators--is important to native bees.
Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.
,
Habitat, Dry sites. Upland mixed forests, sandhill, flatwoods, scrub.
,
Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers
- Slow Growth
- Excellent small hedge
- Abundance of orange-red flowers in summer
- Showy creamy white flowers
Asimina pygmea
Flowers range from maroon to maroon and white, to maroon and green mixed. One common name is gopherberry - because golpher tortoise eat the fruit.
Sp
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
,
Considertions, difficult to establish because of long taproot.
,
Wildlife, Birds and small wildlife consume the fruit.
The fruit of dwarf pawpaw is sometimes called gopherberry because the fruit is eaten by gopher tortoises.
,
Habitat, Flatwoods, scrub, sandhill
,
Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits
Larval host to the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly (Eurytides marcellus)and pawpaw sphinx (Dolba hyloeus). Pollinated by flie
- Massive, breathtaking and impressive
- Beautiful exotic foliage
- Attractive mottled bark
- Wonderfully fragrant at night
Ilex x attenuata
This naturally occurring hybrid has become a landscaping favorite. Ilex x attenuata is a natural hybrid originally found growing in the wild in Florid
,
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.
,
Habitat, Freshwater and brackish marshes.
,
Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
Bees visit the flowers, but all plants are female. This is apparently one of the few hollies where
- Handsome
- Smaller stature
- Beautiful rounded canopy
