Dry wildflower garden.  Abundant flowers are produced near the ends of the stems. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Seeds eaten by birds. , Habitat, Scrub, scrubby ruderal areas, sandhill, river levees. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Attracts bees and butterflies (Hawthorn Hill).  Documented bee visitors include  Colletes mandibularis, C. thysanellae, C

Flower color varies, which gives the plant a multi-hued array of flowers. Listed as Threatened in Florida Specimen plant where its showy, multi-color , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Good cover for birds, and birds and other wildlife enjoy the fruit. , Habitat, Pine rockland, rockland hammock. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for the Florida duskywing (Ephyriades brunneus). Nectar plant for a variety of butterflies.

These species are, in combination, found throughout Florida and from a cultivation perspective, are very similar.  In nature, O. stricta tends to be i , 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, Thorns! The thorns on this plant make weeding around it difficult. Best planted where no one will be walking adjacent to the plant. , Habitat, Coastal dunes, coastal grasslands. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Thorns Nectar plant for Meske's skipper (Hesperia meskei) butterflies. Attracts a variety of insect

Can be pruned either as a small tree or a large shrub. Can also be used as a hedge. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Thorns. , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and small mammals. Good cover plant. , Habitat, Moist hammocks. Rare. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Thorns Native bees love the flowers.

The natural distribution in Florida is predominantly related to soil and drainage conditions.  If you provide them, it should grow successfully from L , 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 , Wildlife, Provides cover for birds and mammals.  Attracts deer and squirrels.  Deer browse can be so intense as to limit survival of saplings. , Habitat, Forested seepage areas, swamps, low stream banks , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Called elephant's foot because of the flat basal leaf formation. Meadows and wildflower gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Flatwoods, sandhill, ruderal areas, cutthroat seep, wet prairie. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts various pollinators, especially bees..  Documented native bees include Azcgochlora pura, Augochlorella au

Wetland pond edges. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Wet pine flatwoods, marshes, floodplains, lake and pond margins. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Likely pollinated by bees.

Specimen plant. Hedge--makes a good barrier. , 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 ( , Considertions, Leaves have very sharp tips. , Wildlife, Provides wildlife cover , Habitat, Wet flatwoods, sand dunes, disturbed sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Provides food and cover for wildlife.Larval host plant for cofaqui giant skipper (Megathymus cofaqui

The herbarium specimen from Polk County almost certainly has a wrong location.  Lithia is in Hillsborough County and the most likely translation of a , 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 , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. Birds and other small wildlife consume the seed (https://wildflower.org) , Habitat, Moist-wet areas, acid soils. Wet flatwoods, savannas, swamps, stream banks, bogs, other wet areas. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees which have evolved to take advantage of narrow, tubular flowers.

Rear of garden as a screen.  Native meadows. , Tolerance, Unknown Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon (major storms). , Wildlife, Turkey and quail eat the seed.  Provides cover for small ground-dwelling animals. , Habitat, Flatwoods, open woodlands , Did You Know?, Butterflies, moths

Bloom period can be prolonged by removing flowers as they wither. It does not compete well with aggressive plants. Wildflower garden. Blooms best in , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds which are the primary pollinator. , Habitat, Upland woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers