Red/orange fall color is excellent. Leaves have three separate shapes: ovoid, tri-lobed, or mitten-shaped (left or right). Mature trees tend to have f , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Like other members of this family, sassafras trees are threatened by the spread of the redbay ambrosia beetle and the laural wilt fungus it carries. M , Wildlife, Birds consume fruit. , Habitat, Dry sites. Dry mesic forests. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Fall color, Interesting foliage Larval food for spicebush butterfly(Papilio troilus), tiger swallow-tail(papilio glaucus), palamede

This species is in the Nettle Family and looks much like stinging nettle. However, it does not have stinging hairs. Ground cover in moist sites in ca , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can become overly abundant. Plant with caution. , Habitat, Cypress swamps, floodplain forests, wet thickets, stream banks, marshes, wet forests, marshy shores, ditches. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Larval host for several species of moths. Larval host for red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) and eastern comma (Polygonia comma) butt , Propagation, Propagate with cuttings. , Did You Know?, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt! Ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam,

Rarely planted. Good background plant. Can make a good screen. Becomes scraggly if overly shaded, but may be trimmed back for bushier growth. Clonal. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds though it is bitter and often eaten as a last resort. , Habitat, Low flatwoods, cutthroat seeps, dry prairie, coastal swales, bogs, sinks. , Did You Know?, Bees pollinate flowers. Documented bees include Colletes banksi, C. brimleyi, C. inandibularis, C. nudus, Perdita floridensis, Agapostemon splendens,

We are aware of on nursery attempting to grow it but to the best of our knowledge, it is not yet available for sale. If you gather seed, be sure to ha , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Rarely planted due to inavailability and its need for wet sites. , Wildlife, Small birds are likely to harvest seeds. , Habitat, Marshes and moist prairies , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Not studied,  Based on insects attracted by other species, we suspect it attracts butterflies and moths, tachinid flies, bee flies, syr

Litsea aestivalis is listed as Endangered by the State of Florida.  Since that listing, the laurel wilt disease has come to Florida, and is known to k , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and mammals. , Habitat, Near the edges of forested wetlands and some seasonal ponds wtih open centers. , Did You Know?, Attracts flies and small bees.  A likely host for the spicebush swallowtail butterfly.

Natural range is restricted to coastal areas. Native borders, foundation plant, especially in salty environments. Can be trimmed. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without injury. , Considertions, Suckers heavily forming large patches. , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals use the seeds. , Habitat, Salt marsh, tidal flats. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar plant for great southern white (Ascia monuste), gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), large orange sulphur (Phoebis agarithe), so

Flowers tend to appear in spring or after a significant rainfall. Otherwise inconspicuous. Small wildflower or plant in with other low groundcovers. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Dome swamp, wet flatwoods, wet prairie. In ditches, wet pastures, roadsides. Often in burned areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators.

Shade tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Fruits are used by birds. , Habitat, Hammocks. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts a variety of insect pollinators.

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.

Rarely grown.  This tree occurs predominantly in the coastal plain (withoutliers) from eastern Alabama north to southern New Jersey. Shade tree for m , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds, squirrels and other animals eat the seeds. , Habitat, Moist-wet sites. Hydric to mesic seep slopes, fringes of cypress and mixed hardwood swamps, wet flatwoods, mesic flatwoods.

Shade tree. Branches may be quite twisty giving it an interesting form. Can also be used as a street tree and for ecosystem restoration. , 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, Acorn drop can be a maintenance issue. , Wildlife, Acorns appreciated by squirrels and other wildlife including some birds. , Habitat, Sandhill, pine-oak-hickory woods. , Did You Know?, Larval host for the white-M butterfly and Horace's duskywing.

Multi-stemmed. A single stem is a curiosity. A large multi-stemmed plant is a long-blooming wonder. Despite the common name, this species has sweet-sm , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Hammocks, near limestone. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Pollinated by bees.