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Saccharum giganteum
Specimen plant or background plant in moist informal garden. This is a mid-sized bunching grass until the flower stalk shoots up in the fall. Then it
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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, The flower stalks need to be removed once no longer showy.
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Wildlife, Birds will eat the seeds. Provides cover.
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Habitat, Flatwoods, marshes, coastal swales, cypress ponds, lake shores, cutthroat seep.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits
Host plant for the Clouded Skipper butterfly (Lerema accius)
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Did You Know?, Yerba mate, the traditional tea-like beverage from South America, is made with leaves of a close relative to our holly trees, the Ilex Paraguayanis.
Y
- Easily trimmed to maintain desired size
- Christmas tree shape
- Massive, nutrient-dense edible fruit
Quercus arkansana
This is a rare species in Florida. Retain it if present.
Shade 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, Squirrels, racoons, deer and other animals eat the acorns.
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Habitat, Upland pine forest, pine-oak-hickory woods, bayheads. Slopes.
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Did You Know?, Larval host for the white-M hairstreak.
- Wonderfully fragrant flowers
- Beautiful sweeping fronds with drooping leaflets
- Completely bare in winter
Seymeria spp.
They are included here because they are valuable to insects and because they are lovely and good to have in a native garden if you are lucky enough to
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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, Both species are hemi-parasitic (semi-parasitic) and difficult to grow without appropriate host plants.
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Habitat, Open upland woods and disturbed edges.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host for black buckeye.
Attracts insects.
- Compact size
- Does best in cooler areas of South Florida
- Colorful new leafs
- Tropical silhouette
- Excellent small to medium hedge
Ruellia caroliniensis
Wild petunia's flower only last for a day, but they have a very long flowering period, starting in early spring and going strong through the fall. Ple
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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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Habitat, Dry mesic hammocks, flatwoods, sandhill, disturbed areas.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host for Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) and White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae) butterflies.
Attracts many pollinators.
- Ideal with Mediterranean architecture
- Easy/Carefree
- Prominant olive crownshaft
- Relatively uncommon in South Florida
- Pleasant rounded shape
Woodwardia virginica
Use as a groundcover in moist areas. Also useful in wetland restoration areas.
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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, Aggressive, so plant where this will not be a problem or where nothing else will grow.
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Habitat, Swamps, marshes.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Stunning during brief late spring bloom
- Wonderfully fragrant
- Attractive glossy leaves
- Prominent blue-gray crownshaft
Aralia spinosa
FNPS Blog article
Specimen plant or background hedge.
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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, When its huge triply compound leaves are shed in the fall, only the main thorny stem is left standing through the winter months--hence the name devil'
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Wildlife, Birds and small mammals consume the fruit. Birds include nuthatches, orioles, chickadees, titmice, and warblers.
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Habitat, The edges of dry hammocks and dry hardwood forests.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Thorns
Attracts butterflies and bees. Documented bee species include Colletes mandibularis, Hylaeus confluens, Augochlo
- Slow Growth
- Wonderfully fragrant at night
- Easily trimmed to maintain desired size
- Symmetrical shape
- Narrow enough for tight spaces
- Fragrant clusters of flowers in fall
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
Pinckneya bracteata
The showy part of the flower is the white, pink or rose bracts that become petal-like.
This species is listed as Threatened by the State of Florida. P
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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, Edges of bayheads, swamps; bogs; steepheads; wet flatwoods.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
Attracts bees and butterflies.
- Delicious edible fruit
- Prominant olive crownshaft
- Intoxicating fragrance
- Very showy clusters of red flowers
- Healthy edible fruit
- Narrow canopy
Coccoloba diversifolia
Shade tree. Narrow crown is said to make it a good choice for avenues, narrow entryways, and areas between houses.
Can be used as a large container
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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, Fruits are used by birds and other wildlife.
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Habitat, Coastal uplands
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Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
Nectar plant for large orange sulphur (Phoebis agarithe), Schaus' swal
- Elegant and compact
- Cornerstone plant in South Florida
- Deciduous
- Beautiful purple-brown crownshaft
- Unique, sweet, almond-like flavor
Bletia purpurea
Retain if present in natural setting. Can be grown in a wildflower garden.
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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, Pine rocklands, swampy forests on stumps and logs just above high water levels, in humus.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
The flowers do not produce nectar but use food deception to attract various bees including Euglossa, Thygater and Melipona, a genus of
- Width often exceeds height
- Raised diamond-shaped trunk pattern
- Colorful older leaves
- Attractive contrast between flowers and foliage
Paronychia rugelii
This low growing plant is a good ground cover
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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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Habitat, Woodlands, flat pinewoods, sandhill, scrub, disturbed areas in the coastal plain
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Likely attracts bees.
- Medium stature
- Very showy clusters of flowers
- Narrow enough for tight spaces
Heliotropium angiospermum
Use as a tall groundcover or small shrub.
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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, Can become somewhat weedy.
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Habitat, Hammocks, disturbed sites
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Nectar plant for Bahamian swallowtail (Heraclides andraemon), cassius blue (Leptotes cassius), Florida white (Appias drusilla), gray ha
- Beautiful sweeping fronds with drooping leaflets
- Hummingbird favorite
- Colorful fall foliage
- Attractive blue-green to silver leaflets
- Stunning colorful foliage
