Red/orange fall color is excellent. Leaves have three separate shapes: ovoid, tri-lobed, or mitten-shaped (left or right). Mature trees tend to have f , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Like other members of this family, sassafras trees are threatened by the spread of the redbay ambrosia beetle and the laural wilt fungus it carries. M , Wildlife, Birds consume fruit. , Habitat, Dry sites. Dry mesic forests. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Fall color, Interesting foliage Larval food for spicebush butterfly(Papilio troilus), tiger swallow-tail(papilio glaucus), palamede

Leaves have sharp spiny tips. Specimen plant. Low 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 , Considertions, The leaves have hard, sharp points. , Wildlife, Provides wildlife cover , Habitat, Dry sites. Scrub, scrubby flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host plant for cofaqui giant skipper (Megathymus cofaqui) and yucca giant skipper (Megathymus yuccae) butte

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

Listed as Endangered by the State of Florida and the USFWS.  This is a rare plant endemic to one panhandle county and should only be acquired from rep , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Sandhill. Seen in open sandhill at Appalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. Upper edges of steepheads in the transition to sandhills, edges of pin , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts many pollinators, especially bees.

Less aggressive growth than similar Asian species. Blooms only on new wood. At least one cultivar has white flowers. Good trellis, post or fence vine , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Foliage palatable to deer. , Habitat, Floodplains, gum swamps, upland thickets. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts pollinators. Larval host for silver spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus) and long-tailer skipper (Urbanus

Younger specimens have a conical shape, but older trees tend to flatten out at the top. In some areas, the strangler fig (Ficus aurea)has strangled ma , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can produce knees, even if grown in uplands. , Wildlife, Attracts seed-eating birds. Valuable as roosting and nesting areas for colonial wading birds. , Habitat, Riverine swamps, large swamps around lakes. Inundated areas associated with some form of flowing water. Floodplains, sloughs, strands. May be assoc , Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for baldcypress sphinx (Isoparce cupressi) moth.

This is an endangered species. Please do not steal from the wild. Mostly grown as a curiosity as it is an early morning bloomer and nearly invisible , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Is endemic to only a few counties in NE Florida and does best in a fire-controlled habitat. , Wildlife, Attracts bumblebees (Huegel, C. 2013. Palmetto 31: 3-6) , Habitat, Wet to mesic flatwoods. Does well in fire-maintained habitats. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers

Specimen or shade tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, The foul-smelling crushed leaves, flower litter, seed pod litter, and root suckers can create a maintenance problem in residential landscapes. , Habitat, Dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host for catalpa sphinx moth (Ceratomia catalpae) and tersa sphinx (Xylophanes tersa).   Attracts various p

Tolerates winter flooding. This is a wetland plant. It is rarely grown, but it has potential in appropriate sites. Wet wildflower garden. For appeara , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Moist sites. Hydric and mesic pine flatwoods, edges of sloughs, savannas, bogs, ditches. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host of  Gray Hairstreak, Painted Lady Butterfly, Common Checkered Skipper and Tropical Checkered Skipper butterflies and  four

Litsea aestivalis is listed as Endangered by the State of Florida.  Since that listing, the laurel wilt disease has come to Florida, and is known to k , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and mammals. , Habitat, Near the edges of forested wetlands and some seasonal ponds wtih open centers. , Did You Know?, Attracts flies and small bees.  A likely host for the spicebush swallowtail butterfly.

Wind pollinated.  Dioecious.  According to Huegel (2010), the flowers attract insects. Plant tree in areas where fallen fruit will not be an issue. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Fallen fruits are messy. , Wildlife, Fruits are very popular with birds and mammals and some reptiles (for example, Eastern box turtle ) , Habitat, Upper floodplains, hammocks, mesic forests.. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Wildflower garden especially in sunny moist areas. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Said to spread easily from seed to the extent that it can become hard to control. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume fruit. , Habitat, Moist flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many pollinators, especially important for native bees.