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Rudbeckia spp.
Multiple species are native to Florida. Most are attractive and many are easy to grow. This is a catch-all for species not listed individually. Ple
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
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Wildlife, Small seed-eating birds pick out the seeds from the mature flower heads.
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Habitat, Vary by species. Mostly sandhills, bogs, roadsides, ruderal.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attract butterflies, bees and wasps.
- Long emerald crownshaft
- Can be grown indoors
- Somewhat drought tolerant
- Colorful new leafs
- No longer recommended
Liatris elegans
Wildflower garden.
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
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Habitat, Sandhill, mesic flatwoods.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts butterflies and bees.
- Year-round blooms
- Attracts butterflies
- Unique foliage and silhouette
Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
This species can be distinguished from related non-natives by its trailing stems and lance-shaped leaves.
Stachytarpheta urticifolia, commonly sold by
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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
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Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds.
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Habitat, Coastal strand, open areas in dry mesic hardwood forests, sometimes nestled under trees along sandy roadsides.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host for tropical buckeye (Junonia genoveva) butterfly.
Nectar plant for many butterflies and moths including: Bahamian swallow
- Highly nutritious fruit
- Rapid growth
- Towering
- Iconic symbol of the south
Nuphar advena
Not frequently seen for sale, but readily available from plant fragments. Used in wetland restoration.
Water gardens and ponds.
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
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Considertions, This species can become overly dense and completely cover small ponds. Recommended for edges of larger ponds/lakes or streams, or where one wants a g
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Wildlife, Provides structure for fish, frogs, etc. in aquatic settings.
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Habitat, Marshes, ponds, swamps, rivers, streams.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
Pollinated by flies and beetles. Several bees have been documented visiting this species including Hylaeus schwarz
- Unique, fern-like leaves
- Slow Growth
- Moderately salt tolerant
- Wonderfully fragrant, carries a great distance
Vaccinium darrowii
Leaves are glaucous and appear to be blue-green sometimes with pink-violet overtones.
The range includes the Florida panhandle and much of the pennins
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
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Considertions, Must have acidic soil.
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Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.
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Habitat, Moist sites. Flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
Attracts various pollinators, especially native bees. Documented bee species include Agapostemon s
- Unique, fern-like leaves
- Very showy clusters of red flowers
- Lush, dense shade tree
Koanophyllon villosum
Back of garden screen
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
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Habitat, Pine rockland, edges of hammocks
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts butterflies and bees.
- Ideal with Mediterranean architecture
- Magnificent when flowering
- Fragrant clusters of flowers in fall
Spiranthes odorata
The published gardening lore says "part-sun" -- where I have seen this growing in nature, it has been in shade.
Bog gardens. Wet meadows. Moist nativ
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
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Habitat, Associated with forested seepage settings.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Pollinated by long-tongued bees, notably, bumblebees.
- Can be grown indoors
- Unique swollen blue-green to silver trunk
- Highly versatile
Zanthoxylum clava-herculis
Wood is quite soft and weak. This author had one break in a storm. It did however resprout from low on the trunk and the sprout is now about 15 ft t
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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
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Considertions, Quite thorny.
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Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife eat the fruit.
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Habitat, Hammocks, wet woods, dunes, shell middens.
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Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns
Larval host for giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes).
- Attracts butterflies and bees
- Showy display of fruit
- Beautiful sweeping fronds with drooping leaflets
- Killed by citrus greening (HLB)
Acer saccharinum
Fall foliage color is yellow. While used extensively as a street tree in the north, this fast growing species is relatively weak.
Specimen tree. Freq
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
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Considertions, Its prolific root system is notorious for invading and clogging leaky underground drainage and water lines. Susceptible to wind or ice damage due to i
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Wildlife, The are important food for squirrels during late winter/early spring. Budburst comes during the critical late winter-spring period when stored food s
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Habitat, Floodplains.
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Did You Know?, Fall color
Attracts bees.
Larval host for Cecropia silkmoth (Hyalophora cecropia).
- Relatively uncommon in South Florida
- Magnificent
- Narrow enough for tight spaces
- Susceptible to breakage, even in moderate winds
- Grows tall, but not massive
Melanthera nivea
Although it has square stems and opposite leaves like members of the mint family (Lamiaceae), this is a member of the daisy family, but it has no ray
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
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Considertions, Can get rangy and may need pruning. Reseeds, so plant it where that's not a problem.
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Habitat, Edges of upland hardwood forests, hydric hammocks, maritime hammocks, pine flatwoods, pine-oak-hickory woods, calcareous hammocks, coastal hammocks, o
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Heavily used by butterflies, skippers, bees, and wasps for nectar. This plant is an insect magnet.
- Unique fluffy fronds
- Can be kept narrow
- Not a true jasmine
- Attractive blue-green to silver leaflets
- Slow Growth
Botrychium biternatum
Treasure this tidy fern if you have it in your landscape.
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
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Considertions, Dies back during the summer.
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Habitat, Pine flatwoods
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Slender and elegant
- Attractive blue-green to silver leaflets
- Requires high humidity
Morella cerifera
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
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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
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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.
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Wildlife, Good wildlife cover.
Seeds eaten by birds.
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Habitat, Wet-dry sites. Upland mixed forest, floodplains, wetland edges, cutthroat seeps, old fields, scrub, fencerows
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Did You Know?, Hurricane wind resistance
Larval host for banded hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) and red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)butterflies.
- Adequate moisture required
- Elegant appearance
- Tall and stately
- Rare and unique
- Does best with periodic fertalization
