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Halesia diptera
Use as a specimen plant or as an understory in a mixed hardwood forest setting. This tree blooms in early spring before the leaves come out.
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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, Hummingbirds and cardinals are known to be interested in the nectar. Squirrels may eat the fruits.
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Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Upland hardwood forests on fertile mesic slopes and ravines, hammocks, floodplain forests, slope forests, seep slopes, floodplains wi
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers
Larval plant for several moth species.
Primary pollinators are bees.
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Did You Know?
- Attractive light to medium green crownshaft
- Attractive dark green leaves
- Drought tolerant
- Narrow crown
Cornus alternifolia
Small specimen tree. Can also work as an understory tree.
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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, Birds and small mammals consume the fruit.
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Habitat, Slope forest, upland hardwood forest. Bluffs, creek forests.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
Larval host for cecropia silkmoth (Hyalophora cecropia) and spring azure butterfly (Celastrina ladon).
- Smaller stature
- Imposing stature
- Does best with periodic fertalization
- Easily trimmed to maintain desired size
- Susceptible to breakage, even in moderate winds
- Not a true pine
Quercus marilandica
Small to medium tree often with somewhat scruffy form. Retain in a natural setting if present.
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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, Fallen/falling acorns can be an issue.
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Wildlife, The acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, blue jays, white-breasted nuthatches, American crows and wild turkey
Attracts small mammals including squirrels,
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Habitat, Pine-oak-hickory woods, dry longleaf pinelands with loamy soils or clay hardpan, dry secondary woods.
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Did You Know?, Host plant for the White-M Hairstreak and Horace's Duskywing butterflies.
- Intoxicating fragrance
- Thrives only briefly, about 1 year
- Very fast growth rate
Galactia striata
Host plant for Zestos Skipper butterfly which is believed to be extirpated (extinct) in FLorida. Also used by Cassius blue, longtailed skipper, and Za
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Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges.
Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
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Considertions, Scrambling vine likely best suited to informal settings. Individual stems may be up to 10 ft long.
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Habitat, Hammocks
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Did You Know?, Larval host plant for cassius blue (Leptotes cassius), long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus), zestos skipper (Epargyreus zestos) and zarucco duskywing
- Narrow canopy
- Elegant
- Unique fluffy fronds
- Wide umbrella-shaped canopy
- Striking symmetrical appearance
Trichostema dichotomum
Noted for fragrance. Trichostema setaceum is similar but less common in central and southern Florida.
There are now at least 4 different Trichostema
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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, May seed overly enthusiastically.
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Habitat, Scrub, xeric hammock, overgrown sandhill, flatwoods.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers
Attracts various pollinators, especially bees.. Documented bees include Caupolicana electa and Dialictus placidensi
- Requires protection from strong winds
- Retains leaves until just before blooming
- Prominant olive crownshaft
- Recently classified invasive
Verbesina virginica
Each stem has soft, fleshy green flanges running longitudinally down its length. When winter weather brings ice, the stems exude water that freezes in
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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 forest edges.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts native bees.
Nectar source for butterflies.
- Long-lived perennial
- Flowers year round
- Tall and stately
- Narrow crown
Drypetes lateriflora
It is listed as Threatened by the state of Florida.
Naturalistic landscapes.
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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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Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume fruit.
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Habitat, Relatively dry hammocks.
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Did You Know?, Interesting bark
Larval host plant for Florida white (Appias drusilla) butterfly.
- Unique flowers, with petals like banana peels
- Unique swollen blue-green to silver trunk
- Easy/Carefree native
Cornus asperifolia
Forms thickets. Best used as a screen or buffer plant.
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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, Birds and small mammals consume the fruit.
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Habitat, Dry woods.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host for cecropia silkmoth (Hyalophora cecropia) and spring azure butterfly (Celastrina ladon).
Attracts long-tongued bees, sho
- Will not tolerate frost
- Killed by citrus greening (HLB)
- Moderately drought tolerant
- Prized scent, used in commercial perfumes
- Arched, recurving fronds
Quercus inopina
Endemic to the sand ridges of central and northern peninsular Florida.
Forms a thicket with many sprouts from underground stems.
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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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Wildlife, Small mammals use the acorns.
Provides significant food and cover for wildlife.
The acorns are utilized by squirrels.
An important food source for th
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Habitat, Scrub, scrubby flatwoods, scrubby sandhill.
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Did You Know?, Hurricane wind resistance
Larval host for Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) and white-M hairstreak (P
- Available multi-stalked
- Tall and stately
- Narrow crown
- Somewhat drought tolerant
Paspalum vaginatum
Similar in general appearance to St. Augustine grass. To look nice as a turf grass, seashore paspalum requires water and fertilizer and needs frequent
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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, Said to be hard to cut and requires frequent cutting. If cut too low, it may recover slowly.
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Habitat, Beaches, borders of salt marshes, disturbed brackish sites.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Extremely popular
- Lovely deep green, glossy leaves
- Intoxicating fragrance
- Beautiful purple-brown crownshaft
- Requires protection from strong winds
Nymphaea jamesoniana
Likely more common than suggested by the known county occurrences as likely overlooked since its blooms are nocturnal.
It is not clear to this author
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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, Open only at night. Fragrant.
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Habitat, Aquatic. Marsh, lake. Roadside ditches.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers
This particular water lily blooms only at night. Personal observation, and a published research study suggest that t
- Massive stature when mature
- Towering
- Prominent pale green crownshaft
Oxydendrum arboreum
Specimen tree. Red to yellow in the fall.
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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, Steep stream banks and ridges, hammocks, bluffs.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers
Attracts bees and other pollinators.
- Prized scent, used in commercial perfumes
- Does best in cooler areas of South Florida
- Unique, fern-like leaves
