Natural landscapes including meadows and butterfly gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Purple thistle is a thorny plant - be very careful when handling. , Wildlife, The seeds are rich in oil, an important food source for seed-eating birds. , Habitat, Coastal plain, edges of salt marshes, pinewoods, prairies and disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Larval host to little metalmark (Calephelis virginiensis) and painted lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies. N

Not readily available from nurseries but said to be easy to grow. Palafoxia feayi is a related species, also beautiful, but harder to row and even les , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Dry or scrubby flatwoods and , coastal hammocks. Common after fire. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts bees, butterflies and moths.  Said to attract scarab beetles.

Because it's a legume it can grow in poor soils, but does better with added organic matter. Specimen shrub. , 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 , Habitat, Hammock edges, disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host plant for cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae), sleepy orange (Eurema nicippi) and the introduced orange-barred sulphur (Phoe

Is listed as Endangered in Florida. Hedges; small specimen plants; mass planting; ground cover; large planters. Dune reclamation. , 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, A beautiful shrub for oceanfront gardens, but susceptible to diseases inland. , Habitat, Coastal uplands, dunes. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Nectar plant for Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) and other butterfly speci

Specimen plant. Roadsides, parking lot edges, and medians. Smaller forms can make good foundation screens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Both suckers and seedlings will appear. , Wildlife, Birds eat the fruits. , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock, coastal hammock. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts bees and butterflies.

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

Spicy smell to crushed foliage. Florida is at the southern end of the range for this species, and the range is likely disjoint with the species occurr , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Like it's relative redbay(Persea borbonia), it's susceptible to attacks by the redbay ambrosia beetle, which spreads a deadly fungus called Laural Wil , Wildlife, Birds and mammals eat the fruits. , Habitat, Bluffs, floodplains, calcareous hammocks. Rare. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Larval host for the spice bush swallowtail and other butterflies.  Attracts bees and flies.

Shade tree. This is a clone former, so it can also be used to provide screening or for an "island" of habitat for wildlife , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Plant where its persistent bur-like fruits (gum balls) will not be underfoot. Also, its resinous leaves will stain cement driveways and car finishes. , Wildlife, Provides cover for birds and other animals. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. River bottoms, upland hardwood forests, roadsides. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for luna (Actias luna) moths.

Hedge plant. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, In unburned natural wetlands, this plant sometimes form almost impenetrable thickets along the edge. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit. , Habitat, Swampy sites, wet pine flatwoods, sloughs and edges of cypress swamps, seepage swamps and bogs, savannas, other wet depressional areas. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts bees (https://wildflower.org).

This is a rare plant listed as threatened by the State of Florida.  It should only be acquired from reputable plant nurseries. Border plant or as a s , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Scrub, coastal strand. In disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts bees and other pollinators.

This species is listed as Endangered in Florida. There was a reported sighting of it in Everglades National Park just before Hurricane Andrew (1992) b , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Found naturally on coastal berms and rockland hammocks. Suitable for planting in the subtropical Florida. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Rarely grown but worthy of consideration for moist areas. Poisonous and nectar may be toxic to some insects. Grow on support or up a tree in moist ar , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, The flowers, leaves, and roots are poisonous and may be lethal to humans and livestock. The species nectar may also be toxic to honeybees if too much , Wildlife, Possibly used by hummingbirds, but toxins in the nectar may make it a last resort. , Habitat, Bogs, acidic swamps, wet river swamps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts bees.