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Cladium jamaicense
Sawgrass is a sedge, not a grass. It was this plant that Marjory Stoneman Douglas referred to in her seminal work: "The Everglades: River of Grass."
A
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Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without injury.
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Considertions, Blades have sharp edges...hence the common name. Best planted where people will not brush by it.
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Habitat, Swamps, marshes, shores of water bodies, common in coastal marsh, glades, cypress prairie.
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Did You Know?, Larval host of the Palatka skipper (Euphyes pilatka).
- Prominent pale green crownshaft
- Very showy clusters of flowers
- Unique fluffy fronds
- Massive stature
Philadelphus inodorus
Multi-stemmed. A single stem is a curiosity. A large multi-stemmed plant is a long-blooming wonder.
Despite the common name, this species has sweet-sm
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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, Hammocks, near limestone.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers
Pollinated by bees.
- Showy display of fruit
- Decorative diamond-shaped trunk pattern
- Unique, stout pineapple-like trunk when young
- Drought tolerant
- Clusters of tubular flowers
Persea humilis
Do not plant this plant unless you are absolutely sure that it is not infected by laurel wilt disease. In general, this small bay seems to be escapin
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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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Considertions, This small tree appears to less likely to be killed by laurel wilt than Florida's other bays.. It is likely that it is too small to attract the beetle
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Wildlife, Fruits eaten and dispersed by birds.
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Habitat, Dry sites. Scrub, high pine, scrubby sandhill.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
Larval host plant for palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes) and spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) butterflies.
Attracts
- Decorative diamond-shaped trunk pattern
- Very fast growth rate
- Attractive light to medium green crownshaft
Magnolia virginiana
The silvery undersides of the leaves are striking.
Erroneously listed as a host for palamedes swallowtail butterflies. Palamedes swallowtails only fee
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Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
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Wildlife, Seeds are eaten by woodpeckers, kingbirds, red-eyed vireos, mockingbirds, robins, thrushes, crows, cardinals, squirrels, mice among others.
Deer brows
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Habitat, Bay swamp, forested seep slopes, floodplains of small streams, low flatwoods where fire has been excluded.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
Larval host plant for Eastern tiger swallowtail (Pterou
- Briefly bare for about a month in the winter
- Attractive silver-gray foliage
- Heavy feeder
Quercus laevis
This is one of the few Florida oaks that looks like an oak to most people from the eastern US north of Florida. Tends to be smaller toward the souther
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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, Difficult to transplant once it has formed its tap root.
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Wildlife, Used by woodpeckers and wild turkey
Valued by squirrels and other mammals including white tailed deer
Used by birds for resting and nesting
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Habitat, Sandhill, scrub, scrubby sandhill. Increases in sandhill where long leaf pines were removed and where burns are restricted to winter.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
Larval host plant forHorace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycop
- Elegant, dense canopy
- Attractive symmetrical appearance
- Requires high humidity
- Cold tolerant
- Thick branching into attractive silouttes
- Requires protection from strong winds
Lantana involucrata
Cover plant, hedge plant, screen.
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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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Wildlife, Birds eat the fruits. Occasionally attracts hummingbirds.
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Habitat, Coastal dunes. Disturbed areas in tropical hammocks (needs light) and pine rocklands.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Hurricane wind resistance
Attracts butterflies and other pollinators including ants and bees (IRC).
- Highly versatile
- Excellent edible fruit
- Killed by citrus greening (HLB)
- Moderately slow growth
Aristida stricta
Typically not used in landscape settings. However, if appropriate management can be provided (fire), then seed-bearing plants have considerable landsc
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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, Small birds consume seeds.
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Habitat, Open seepage areas, forested seepage areas, flatwoods, sandhill, clayhill, scrub, coastal uplands
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
Wind pollinated.
- Adequate fertalization required
- Clusters of tubular flowers
- Easily trimmed to maintain desired size
- Excellent small to medium hedge
Teucrium canadense
Moist wildflower garden. Makes a good mass planting on the edge of a pond or ditch.
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Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water
Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
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Considertions, This plant will spread to form a large colony in moist areas. Plant where this is an asset.
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Wildlife, Occasionally visited by humminbirds (Wikipedia)
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Habitat, Swamps, floodplains, marshes, wet meadows, wet pastures, margins of lakes and ponds, cypress domes, ditches, disturbed sites.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Pollinators include bumblebees, honey bees, digger bees, cuckoo bees and megachilid bees.
Nectar plant for butterflies and (occasional
- Salt tolerant
- Does best in warmer areas of South Florida
- Requires ample space and light
Nymphaea mexicana
The range of this plant appears to encompass most of Florida with actual occurrances having been found in streams with appropriate water chemistry (ap
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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, Aquatic. Quiet pools in spring-run streams, spring-fed lakes and ponds, still water.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Everything from flies, to beetles, and various sorts of bees have been recorded on water lilies (In Defense of Plants blog). Given the
- Attractive and unique swollen trunk
- Often draped with Spanish moss
- Handsome
- Attractive dark green leaves
- Elegant appearance
- Distinctive-looking fruit with spiked exterior
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
Rudbeckia spp.
Multiple species are native to Florida. Most are attractive and many are easy to grow. This is a catch-all for species not listed individually. Ple
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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, Small seed-eating birds pick out the seeds from the mature flower heads.
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Habitat, Vary by species. Mostly sandhills, bogs, roadsides, ruderal.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attract butterflies, bees and wasps.
- Long emerald crownshaft
- Can be grown indoors
- Somewhat drought tolerant
- Colorful new leafs
- No longer recommended
Gaillardia pulchella
It is difficult to know the native range of this plant in Florida as it has been widely planted on roadsides across much of the state at least since t
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without i
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Considertions, A series of studies in the last 10 years are suggesting that Gaillardia pulchella is likely not native to Florida. It is widely grown and naturaliz
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Wildlife, Birds that eat the seeds include chickadees, titmice, and warblers.
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Habitat, Dry sites, often near the coast.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts many pollinators including native bees, honeybees, butterflies, butterflies and wasps.
- Attractive silver-gray foliage
- Tiered branches
- Showy red berries
- Native
- Lovely dark green, shiny leaves
