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.

The genus name honors the English botanist William Vernon, who did fieldwork in North America. Moist wildflower garden. Also useful to naturalize alo , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Hydric to moist savannas, openings along streams, wet pastures, floodplains, bluffs, bay swamps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar attracts native bees and butterflies.  Larval host for Spring azure.

Depending on cold, this may keep its leaves all year or die back during the winter. In colder areas, consider growing it as an annual. It adapts well , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Depending on site, this plant may spread more than preferred, but easy to pull up if it is not wanted , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Interesting foliage Larval host for Fulvous Hairstreak. Attracts pollinators

Many spleenworts are rare. Please do not harvest from the wild. Most spleenworts have very narrow ranges and narrow environmental tolerances. Don't co , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Around sinkholes and on rocks. Epiphytic on logs and trees. Moist sites. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

The bloom period is relatively long - lasting from early spring, well into fall. Wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Seeds eaten by birds. , Habitat, Moist roadsides, flatwoods, sandhill, scrub. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies Attracts bees

Although drought-tolerant, this shrub/small tree may benefit from a few deep, thorough soakings during extremely dry periods. When young, it tends to , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt , Considertions, Thorns on trunks and branches. Place where flowers and fragrance can be enjoyed, but away from walkways. Can suffer from root rot if too wet. , Wildlife, The thorny branches make good cover for birds and other wildlife. Fruits are not generally valued. Attracts pollinators. There are 2 subspecies, V. fa , Habitat, Coastal uplands, ruderal, shell middens , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Attracts pollinators and uses ants both for protection against unwanted insects.

In the opinion of this author, this species has a weedy look.  Occurs throughout Florida but is more frequent in flatwoods pond settings and small flo , 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 , Considertions, An aggressive grower. Plant where that characteristic is appropriate. , Habitat, Riverine forests, flatwoods, beaches, fresh and brackish marshes, disturbed sites. , Did You Know?, Larval host for tawny edged skipper.

This plant is easy to grow. Weak wood. Hedge plant, specimen plant, woodland plant. Plant where the silky brown/gold undersides of the foliage will b , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Plant where it will have space. While many specimens in natural scrub settings are slow growing, this plant can be a robust growing in the landscape. , Wildlife, Birds and other animals eat the fruit. , Habitat, Sandhill, scrub. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Thorns Nectar plant for butterflies. Attracts bees and flies.  A pollinator magnate. Watching insects swarm over my tough bully

Understory tree, use as a background plant or screen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Floodplains, rich woodlands, upland mixed forest. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy fruits Larval host for the giant swallowtail. Carrion flies pollinate the flowers.

Found naturally in Florida in glades, which have marly soils, and in Alachua County, in shallow sands over marl deposits that cover the underlying lim , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Upland mixed forest. Found in edges or understory and on roadsides. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval Host to the checkered-skipper (Pyrgus communis). Attracts bees.

Use as an accent tree or shrub. It has a long blooming period, tolerates poor soils, and is easy to grow. , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt , Wildlife, Attracts small birds. Attracts hummingbirds , Habitat, Shell mound, maritime hammock, beach dune, coastal strand, inland borders of marine tidal swamp, marine tidal marsh (salt marsh). , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts many insect pollinators including bees, butterflies, and moths.