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

Leaves have sharp spiny tips. Specimen plant. Low hedge. , 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 , Considertions, The leaves have hard, sharp points. , Wildlife, Provides wildlife cover , Habitat, Dry sites. Scrub, scrubby flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host plant for cofaqui giant skipper (Megathymus cofaqui) and yucca giant skipper (Megathymus yuccae) butte

Both male and female plants required for pollination and seed set. Specimen tree.  Screen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Sharp spines (teeth) on leaves. , Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds. , 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. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Bees pollinate flowers.

There is potential name confusion with this species since it was formerly considered to be a subspecies of O. hirtellus (Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. s , 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, Unfortunately, this low growing grass is not visible during winter-spring, so its use is somewhat restricted to areas where this is not an issue. , Habitat, Moist sites. Shade. Moist hammocks. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Larval host for Carolina satyr (Hermeuptychia sosbius) butterfliy (IRC)

Two color morphs, green and silver. Since it often occurs along the upland margin of mangrove swamps, it is sometimes referred to as the 4th Florida m , Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation) High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and , Wildlife, The seeds are primarily dispersed by water. , Habitat, Upper edges of mangrove swamps and on lower parts of dunes. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Nectar source and larval host plant for martial scrub hairstreak (Strymon martialis) and

The first year, this plant is a small rosette. The second year, it grows in height and flowers. Balduina angustifolia is endemic to the southeastern c , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Not drought tolerant. , Habitat, Open, dry sites. Naturally grows in scrub and scrubby flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts a variety of butterflies, including gulf fritillary, for nectar. Attracts many native  insects , especially bees including min

Forming a thicket for wildlife protection. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without i , Considertions, It has thorns, but they are rather small. The seeds of Cherokee bean are poisonous and purportedly used for rat poison in Mexico. , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. Due to its dense foliage and thorny stems, coral bean serves as a refuge for small birds and animals. , Habitat, Dry sites. Upland mixed forest, thickets, tropical hammocks, coastal dunes, sandhill, flatwoods, tropical hammock, pine rocklands. This species can b , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Thorns Attracts long-tongued pollinators.

Groundcover for dry sites. Clonal (forms small clumps of stems).It has deep red foliage in fall. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Slow growing and difficult to establish. , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals eat the fruit. , Habitat, Sandhills, flatwoods, flatwoods, flatwoods-wetland transition zones, hydric seep slopes including cutthroat seeps and edges of shrub-tree bogs, scrubb , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers Attracts native bees includeing Augochlorella aurata, A. gratiosa, Megachile breuis pseudobrevis, M. integrella plus the no

This is one of our larger (taller and larger flowers) Coreopsis species. Useful as a colorful wildflower along the edge of a wetland. Often overlooke , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Wet prairie, herbaceous seepage areas, wet roadsides. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many different butterflies and  pollinators.

Rare and listed as endangered. Please obtain this plant only from reputable native plant nurseries or friends -- do not harvest from the wild. Little , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Slope forest. On calcareous soils. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Visited by small insects including bees but the specific pollinators are apparently not known.

Primarily useful for coastal restoration projects. , Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation) High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and , Wildlife, Attracts birds.  Nesting and resting habitat. , Habitat, Salt marshes, dunes. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Depending on who you ask, there are two laurel oaks in Florida.  Q. laurifolia (swamp laurel oak) and Q. hemisphaerica (Darlington oak, sand laurel oa , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Somewhat weak, and compared to live oak, short-lived. , Wildlife, Produces acorns that are used by rodents, including squirrels, and other mammals Acorns used by woodpeckers, jays, and wild turkeys. High in tannins. , Habitat, River floodplains, secondary woods. , Did You Know?, Larval host for Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) and White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album). Larval host for several moth species (some of the c