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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
Ilex ambigua
Plant as a small understory tree. Good as a general background plant that is appropriate to wildlife.
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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, It's dioecious; so make sure you have at least one male plant in the vicinity to produce berries on the females.
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Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds and small mammals.
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Habitat, Dry hammocks, sandhills, scrub, dunes.
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Did You Know?, Showy fruits
Bees pollinate flowers.
- Moderately slow growth
- Attractive flowers, typically deep orange
- Critically endangered
- Stunning
Sorghastrum secundum
Typically grown in the background of a wildflower garden as its tall flower stalks are only visible in fall. The remainder of the year is looks like a
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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, In the landscape will need annual cutting back.
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Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Flatwoods, secondary pinelands, sandhill.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits
Larval host for "grass skippers" including swarthy skipper (Nastra lherminier), Delaware skipper (Anatrytone arogos), Euf
- Beautiful sweeping fronds with drooping leaflets
- Unique foliage
- Prominant olive crownshaft
- Flowers profusely year round
- Often draped with Spanish moss
- Long-lived perennial
Quercus myrtifolia
This plant can form clones from underground stems. It is adapted to fire environments.
Forms a thicket with many sprouts from spreading roots
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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
- Silvery blue-green fronds
- Smaller stature
- Easy/Carefree
- Attractive glossy leaves
Opuntia spp.
These species are, in combination, found throughout Florida and from a cultivation perspective, are very similar. In nature, O. stricta tends to be i
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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
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Considertions, Thorns! The thorns on this plant make weeding around it difficult. Best planted where no one will be walking adjacent to the plant.
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Habitat, Coastal dunes, coastal grasslands.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Thorns
Nectar plant for Meske's skipper (Hesperia meskei) butterflies.
Attracts a variety of insect
- No longer recommended
- Thick branching into attractive silouttes
- Can be grown indoors
- Native
Helianthus agrestis
This is Florida's only native annual sunflower. The Bradford County location is near both a major road and a railroad and may be a waif.
Moist wildf
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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 eat the seeds.
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Habitat, Pinelands, savannas, ruderal.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Primarily pollinated by bees. The goldenrod soldier beetle (a.k.a. leatherwing beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) is a goldenrod pol
- Showy reddish peeling bark
- Very showy clusters of red flowers
- Grows tall, but not massive
Telmatoblechnum serrulatum
This is one of the most common ferns in central-southern Florida and potentially one of the most beautiful.
Ground cover for moist, shady sites. Also
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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, Will spread unless contained by physical or environmental limits. Periodic removal of old fronds is recommended.
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Habitat, Marshes, swamps
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Unique swollen blue-green to silver trunk
- Requires high humidity
- Tropical silhouette
- Unique foliage
- Beautiful purple-brown crownshaft
- Moderately drought tolerant
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
