In the natural environment, this species benefits from periodic fire. Very difficult to see except when in bloom. Retain if present. Could be grown a , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Rarely grown as difficult to find seeds or bulbs and seedlings are subject to fungal diseases. , Habitat, Mesic flatwoods, wet prairie, wet flatwoods, open seepage areas such as cutthroat seeps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies including swallowtails. Reported possible pollinators include spicebush swallowwtail, cloudless sulfur (Phoebis se

Wild cotton is a rare plant; it needs protection against missuses and protection against removal from natural populations. Use as a short-lived "shru , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, It is not legal to plant this plant, but the reasons are very dated. A Florida law was passed in the early 1900s banning the growing of wild cottons, , Habitat, Dry sites. Tropical hammock, coastal berm, shell mound. Disturbed area. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Larval host plant for gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) butterflies. Flowers attract bees, flies, thrips, grass hoppers,

Moist wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Wet prairie, wet pine flatwoods, fresh to brackish marshes, bogs, ditches, swamps. Especially in areas where limestone is close to the surface. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many pollinators; is especially important for native bees.

This subspecies has a broad distribution that extends west into Texas and north into northern New England.  It is found broadly but sporatically in Fl , 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, Birds and small mammals eat the seeds. , Habitat, Beach dune. Disturbed sandy areas both near the coast and inland. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Primarily pollinated by bees.

Requires a reliable cold period to persist. In most of Florida it can be treated as an annual in gardens. Listed as Endangered by the State of Florida , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, The further south you go, the more short-lived this species gets.  Except in extreme north Florida, treat as an annual or at least don't assume that i , Wildlife, Small birds and small mammals consume the seed. , Habitat, Upland glades, openings in upland mixed forests on calcareous soils. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many pollinators, especially bees.

This tree has a thick trunk and both the trunk and branches can twist into interesting shapes. The bark is red to bronze and peels. It's also called t , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Kingbirds and other flycatchers eat the fruits (IRC, Haehle and Brookwell 1999). , Habitat, Moist hammocks, dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests, coastal uplands, urban areas , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for dingy purplewing (Eunica monima) (IRC).   Attracts bees and other insect pollinators

Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Foliage and seeds are food source for birds and mammals. , Habitat, Seeps, wet prairies, wet flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators, especially bees.