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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
Yucca filamentosa
Leaves have sharp spiny tips.
Specimen plant. Low 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, The leaves have hard, sharp points.
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Wildlife, Provides wildlife cover
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Habitat, Dry sites. Scrub, scrubby flatwoods.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
Larval host plant for cofaqui giant skipper (Megathymus cofaqui) and yucca giant skipper (Megathymus yuccae) butte
- Tropical silhouette
- Formal, old-world appearance
- Narrow enough for tight spaces
- Swollen, succulent branches
- Native
Callicarpa americana
Fruits are magenta. There is a white-fruited/white-flowered variety, uncommonly found naturally in Florida, that is sold occasionally.
Specimen plant
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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, Cut back in winter to encourage blooming and good form.
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Wildlife, Many bird species consume the fruit. including catbirds, mockinbirds, and robins.
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Habitat, Dry mesic hardwoods, xeric hammock, scrubby flatwoods, flatwoods, disturbed dry-moist woods.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Hurricane wind resistance
Larval host for for spring azure butterflies and snowberry clearwing moths.
Attracts various p
- Stunning
- Deciduous
- Underutilized
- Easily trimmed to maintain desired size
Ilex opaca
Both male and female plants required for pollination and seed set.
Specimen tree. Screen.
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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, Sharp spines (teeth) on leaves.
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Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds.
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Habitat, Upland woods, second bottom but will not tolerate long flooding. Often an understory plant.
Documented in Lee County in a site likely to be natural.
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Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
Bees pollinate flowers.
- Fruit eaten by birds
- Does best in warmer areas of South Florida
- Moderately slow growth
The wood is noted as being very strong, hence the common name "ironwood"
Does not do well much south of its natural range.
Small specimen tree. 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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Wildlife, Seeds are not popular with most birds, but it provides good cover.
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Habitat, Dry-mesic deciduous woods. Hammocks, bluff microsites.
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Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Fall color, Hurricane wind resistance
- Falls over easily, may require staking
- Produces aromatic flowers year-round
- Elegant and compact
- Massive stature when mature
- Attractive light to medium green crownshaft
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
Quercus michauxii
Shade tree. While native to moist sites, this oak does well in moderately dry areas as well. Makes a good street tree and can be used in parking lot i
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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 a maintenance issue.
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Wildlife, Acorns prized by squirrels, deer, turkey and other wildlife.
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Habitat, Mesic sites near swamp edges and second bottoms of floodplains. May occur in uplands on shallow soils over limestone.
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Did You Know?, Larval food for brown duskywing butterfly (Erynnis horatius), gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), and white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album).
- Symmetrical shape
- Beautiful pinwheel flowers, often multicolored
- Unique, sweet, almond-like flavor
Agalinis fasciculata
Retain if present. This and other members of the genus are hemiparasites and not easy to grow unless you happen to also have appropriate hosts present
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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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Habitat, Moist flatwoods.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host and nectar source for the Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia).
Attracts native bees.
- Unique swollen blue-green to silver trunk
- Available multi-stalked
- Very showy clusters of red flowers
- Wonderfully fragrant, carries a great distance
Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum
Edible, very hot fruits
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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 (especially mockingbirds) eat the green, un-ripened peppers.
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Did You Know?, Showy fruits
Attracts bees.
- Pineapple-like showy fruits (female plants)
- Bright red fruits
- Does poorly in very wet soil
- Attractive flowers, typically deep orange
Quercus incana
Small tree in sandhill and other sandy-loam settings.
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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, Does not handle root disturbance well (is noted for disappearing if land is managed by rollerchopping)
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Wildlife, Acorns provide food for selected birds, squirrels, raccoons, and deer.
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Habitat, Sandhill
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Did You Know?, Importnt food source for some species of moths and butterflies.
- Attractive contrast between flowers and foliage
- Attracts butterflies and bees
- Stunning and colorful while in bloom
- Wonderfully fragrant, carries a great distance
- Showy creamy white flowers
- Showy fall color
Gaylussacia frondosa var. tomentosa
Shrub for woodland edge or casual 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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Wildlife, Fruits are prized by a variety of birds and mammals.
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Habitat, Sandhills, scrub, flatwoods, cypress swamp margins. Acid soils. Mesic to dry-mesic flatwoods, edges of bayneads, cypress depressions, cutthroat seeps.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers, Showy fruits
Pollinated primarily by native bees.
- Clusters of tubular flowers
- Excellent hedge choice
- Intoxicating fragrance
- Stately and uncommon
Rosa carolina
Information on salt tolerance comes from northern nurseries and likely relates to tolerance of salt used for de-icing or roadways. The extent to whic
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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, Thorny (well, you would expect that for a rose!)
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Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and small mammals.
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Habitat, Dry deciduous forests. Also cultivated.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Thorns
Attracts a variety of insects, especially important for native bees.
- Uncommon edible fruit
- Can be grown indoors
- Attractive dark green leaves
