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

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. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Hummingbirds and cardinals are known to be interested in the nectar.  Squirrels may eat the fruits. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Upland hardwood forests on fertile mesic slopes and ravines, hammocks, floodplain forests, slope forests, seep slopes, floodplains wi , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers Larval plant for several moth species. Primary pollinators are bees. , Did You Know?

Used for wetland restoration. Attractive for planting in surface water management ponds. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Dies back in the winter. , Wildlife, Provides hiding areas for water birds some of which hide their nests in patches of this tall plant. , Habitat, Marshes, swamps, roadside ditches. Usually in areas with relatively high nutrients and relatively high light. Rarely under a dense canopy. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Host plant for Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius).   Single gray eggs are laid on the leaves. After emerging, Br

Sprawling. Best used as a wildflower. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Flatwoods near edges of open wetlands; roadsides through such places. Coastal thickets. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts a variety of pollinators, especially butterflies.

Moist wildflower garden. Makes a good mass planting on the edge of a pond or ditch. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, This plant will spread to form a large colony in moist areas. Plant where this is an asset. , Wildlife, Occasionally visited by humminbirds (Wikipedia) , Habitat, Swamps, floodplains, marshes, wet meadows, wet pastures, margins of lakes and ponds, cypress domes, ditches, disturbed sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Pollinators include bumblebees, honey bees, digger bees, cuckoo bees and megachilid bees.  Nectar plant for butterflies and (occasional

Interesting silky-looking foliage. Tallish groundcover in mesic (moist) areas. Can be planted in groupings in shady areas. Despite the name, the leav , 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, Dispersed by birds. , Habitat, Dry mesic to mesic and hydric hammock, second bottom, shell mounds, floodplains. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts bees and butterflies.

This is a wetland plant. It is rarely grown, but it has potential in appropriate sites. Background screen in wet garden , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts pollinators.  Bees are especially important for fertilization. , Habitat, Wet sites. Floodplains, riverbanks. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host of  Gray Hairstreak, Painted Lady Butterfly, Common Checkered Skipper and Tropical Checkered Skipper butterflies and  four

According to Kew Gardens, it is from Central America and probably Cuba and Florida.   After going through the photos and labels for specimens in the S , Tolerance, Unknown Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Noted for being weedy. , Habitat, Disturbed. Old orange groves, pasture, roadsides. May occur naturally along the west FL coast including shell mounds and dunes . All records for in , Did You Know?, Showy flowers

Specimen plant, edge, understory shrub. Can be grown in a large container. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Old leaf bases form long stiff spines. , Wildlife, Provides good wildlife cover. , Habitat, Moist-wet sites. Seep slope forests, regularly but shallowly inundated floodplains, seepage swamps especially associated with springs, hydric seepage , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Thorns Attracts beetles.

Its acorn is large (about an inch long) and is nearly enclosed by its cup or receptacle--hence the name "overcup." Shade tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Falling/fallen acorns can be an issue. , Wildlife, Acorns appreciated by squirrels, deer, turkey, and other wildlife Used by birds for resting and nesting Said (by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlflower Cen , Habitat, Bottomland floodplains and inundated river levees, lake swamps, rarely on non-wetland portions of floodplains. , Did You Know?, Host plant for the White-M Hairstreak and Horace's Duskywing butterflies.