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Hibiscus aculeatus
Tolerates winter flooding.
This is a wetland plant. It is rarely grown, but it has potential in appropriate sites.
Wet wildflower garden. For appeara
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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, Moist sites. Hydric and mesic pine flatwoods, edges of sloughs, savannas, bogs, ditches.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host of Gray Hairstreak, Painted Lady Butterfly, Common Checkered Skipper and Tropical Checkered Skipper butterflies and four
- Can be trimmed into manicured shapes
- Unusually shaped, asymmetrical tree
- Fragrant clusters of flowers in fall
- Cold tolerant
- Wide umbrella-shaped canopy
- Not recommended
Litsea aestivalis
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
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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, Fruits eaten by birds and mammals.
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Habitat, Near the edges of forested wetlands and some seasonal ponds wtih open centers.
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Did You Know?, Attracts flies and small bees.
A likely host for the spicebush swallowtail butterfly.
- Highly nutritious fruit
- Beautiful pinwheel flowers, often multicolored
- Cornerstone plant in South Florida
Sideroxylon celastrinum
Hedge plant. Screen plant.
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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 (
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Considertions, Thorns.
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Wildlife, Fruit are eaten by birds and mammals. It provides nesting sites and cover. .
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Habitat, Coastal hammocks, salt flats.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns, Hurricane wind resistance
Appreciated by a variety of insects as a nectar source.
- Easily trimmed to maintain desired size
- Prolific fruiter
- Long-lived perennial
Pinus clausa
Foliage is fine-textured. Fast growing. Subject to root problems in poorly drained areas.
Highly flammible and old trees are weak. Think twice about
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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, Roots are sensitive to disturbance.
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Wildlife, Squirrels and other animals eat the seeds.
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Habitat, Dry sites. Scrub, scrubby flatwoods.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Slender profile
- Does poorly oceanside
- Showy clusters orange-yellow fruits in spring
- Formal, old-world appearance
- Often draped with Spanish moss
- Magnificent showy flowers in summer
Canavalia rosea
An important sand dune stabilizer.
Groundcover in sandy areas. Used for dune stabilization. Fast growing.
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Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation)
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and
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Considertions, It can be aggressive in the landscape. The seeds and seed pods are poisonous.
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Wildlife, Attracts bees.
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Habitat, Coastal dunes.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
- Prefers acidic soil
- Elegant and stately
- Drought tolerant
- Highly salt tolerant
- Showy fall color
- Mostly bare in the coldest months
Lindera benzoin
Spicy smell to crushed foliage.
Florida is at the southern end of the range for this species, and the range is likely disjoint with the species occurr
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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, Like it's relative redbay(Persea borbonia), it's susceptible to attacks by the redbay ambrosia beetle, which spreads a deadly fungus called Laural Wil
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Wildlife, Birds and mammals eat the fruits.
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Habitat, Bluffs, floodplains, calcareous hammocks. Rare.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
Larval host for the spice bush swallowtail and other butterflies.
Attracts bees and flies.
- Requires ample space and light
- Prominent blue-gray crownshaft
- Massive, breathtaking and impressive
- Stately and uncommon
Centrosema virginianum
Butterfly garden, natural landscape, habitat restoration
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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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Habitat, Pinelands and open coastal uplands
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host plant for long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus) and northern cloudywing (Thorybes pylades) butterflies.
Pollinated by bees.
- Majestic and graceful
- Striking and exotic
- Slender and elegant
Silphium asteriscus
The bloom period is relatively long - lasting from early spring, well into fall.
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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Wildlife, Seeds eaten by birds.
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Habitat, Moist roadsides, flatwoods, sandhill, scrub.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts butterflies
Attracts bees
- Fragrant clusters of flowers in fall
- Striking and exotic
- Requires occassional fertalization
- Does poorly in very wet soil
- Year-round blooms
- Lush, dense shade tree
Clematis crispa
Climbs by twining petioles.
Grow on a trellis or fence.
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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, To remain attractive and not become a mass of past growth, cut it back occasionally. Thin out old stems.
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Wildlife, Attracts hummingbords.
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Habitat, Riverine swamps, wet hammocks. This species can be seen near the boardwalks at Flint Creek and Sargeant Parks in Hillsborough County.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
Larval host for mournful thyris (Thyris sepulchralis).
Attracts bees and butterfli
- Damaged by citrus canker
- Uncommon edible fruit
- Attractive variegated foliage
Vernonia gigantea
The genus name honors the English botanist William Vernon, who did fieldwork in North America.
Back of a moist wildflower garden. Can also use on the
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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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Habitat, Exposed sand and gravel bars of streams during low water, stream banks, hydric to wet mesic pine flatwoods. Rich soils. Ruderal.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Nectar attracts butterflies and native beens.
Larval host for spring azure butterfly.
- Colorful new leafs
- Rare, despite being a South Florida native
- Beautiful rounded dense canopy
Psilotum nudum
This is a primitive plant that produces spores.
Typically grown as a curiosity in a shade garden or as an epiphyte. Sometimes grown as a container p
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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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Habitat, Variable, mesic to dry hammocks.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Long emerald crownshaft
- Attractive shade tree
- Slender trunk, 4" in diameter
- Prolific fruiter
- Excellent hedge choice
- Massive, nutrient-dense edible fruit
Ulmus alata
May need trimming to form a single trunk tree for landscaping.
Makes an excellent specimen tree due to the corky wings on its twigs. Older speciments
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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, Susceptible to the Dutch elm disease (not a problem in Florida). Has a shallow root system
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Wildlife, Important early spring food for songbirds.
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Habitat, Floodplains, slopes, well-drained forests.
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Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
Larval host for the question mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis)
- Stunning during brief late spring bloom
- Swollen, succulent branches
- Symmetrical shape
