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Centrosema virginianum
Butterfly garden, natural landscape, habitat restoration
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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, Pinelands and open coastal uplands
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host plant for long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus) and northern cloudywing (Thorybes pylades) butterflies.
Pollinated by bees.
- Majestic and graceful
- Striking and exotic
- Slender and elegant
Ficus aurea
This is a large tree best used in settings where its form can be appreciated. It is both a specimen tree and and shade tree.
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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, In some settings, the tree begins as an epiphyte and sends roots down to the ground wrapping around the host. This is interesting in natural settings
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Wildlife, Birds and small mammals consume fruit and often deposit seeds high in the canopy.
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Habitat, Moist-wet sites to dry sites and on shallow soils over limestone. Tropical hammocks, swamps. May be epiphytic or have aerial roots that may wrap arou
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Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
Larval host for ruddy daggerwing (Marpesia petreus) and Antillean daggerwing (Marpesia eleuchea)
- Rapid growth
- Slow Growth
- Wonderfully fragrant
- Lovely dark green, shiny leaves
- Unique flowers, with petals like banana peels
- Can be grown indoors
Mimosa strigillosa
Needs substantial water during establishment, then relatively drought tolerant.
Nodules on the roots of the plant, with the help of Rhizobium bacteria
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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, Like most turf replacements, this plant wants to spread. If you don't want that, keep it hemmed in by using a barrier or by trimming.
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Habitat, Open, disturbed areas. Typically fairly moist but tolerates dry soils after establishment.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
Host plant for the little sulphur (Eurema lisa) butterfly. (Fl Wildflower Foundation)
Pollinated mainly by bees
- Recently classified invasive
- Abundance of orange-red flowers in summer
- Colorful new leafs
- Cornerstone plant in South Florida
- Fast growth
Dalea pinnata
Three species occur in Florida. Please plant your local variety.
Wildflower garden where it is very showy in late summer/early fall.
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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, Some birds and small mammals consume consume the seeds (https://flawildflowers.org/).
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Habitat, Dry flatwoods, sandhill, scrub. This species can be seen at the Starkey Wilderness Preserve in Pasco County.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia).
Attracts insects, especially bees.
- Majestic, sprawling canopy
- Prominant gray-olive crownshaft
- Tiered branches
Persea palustris
This species and other members of the Lauraceae are being attacked by a serious, fatal disease. Do not plant this plant unless you are absolutely sure
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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, Do not move deadwood. It will spread the disease.
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Wildlife, Seed eaten and dispersed by birds.
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Habitat, Shallow areas in swamps, hydric savannas, seep slopes including cutthroat seeps, wet flatwoods, sloughs.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance
Larval host plant for palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes) and spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) butterflies.
Attracts be
- Unusually shaped, asymmetrical tree
- Symmetrical shape
- Not a true pine
Clematis crispa
Climbs by twining petioles.
Grow on a trellis or fence.
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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, To remain attractive and not become a mass of past growth, cut it back occasionally. Thin out old stems.
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Wildlife, Attracts hummingbords.
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Habitat, Riverine swamps, wet hammocks. This species can be seen near the boardwalks at Flint Creek and Sargeant Parks in Hillsborough County.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
Larval host for mournful thyris (Thyris sepulchralis).
Attracts bees and butterfli
- Damaged by citrus canker
- Uncommon edible fruit
- Attractive variegated foliage
Vachellia farnesiana
Although drought-tolerant, this shrub/small tree may benefit from a few deep, thorough soakings during extremely dry periods. When young, it tends to
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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
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Considertions, Thorns on trunks and branches. Place where flowers and fragrance can be enjoyed, but away from walkways. Can suffer from root rot if too wet.
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Wildlife, The thorny branches make good cover for birds and other wildlife. Fruits are not generally valued. Attracts pollinators.
There are 2 subspecies, V. fa
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Habitat, Coastal uplands, ruderal, shell middens
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns
Attracts pollinators and uses ants both for protection against unwanted insects.
- Briefly bare for about a month in the winter
- Very rare
- Prominant olive crownshaft
- Grows tall, but not massive
- Prominent pale green crownshaft
- Intoxicating fragrance
Panicum virgatum
In the opinion of this author, this species has a weedy look.
Occurs throughout Florida but is more frequent in flatwoods pond settings and small flo
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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
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Considertions, An aggressive grower. Plant where that characteristic is appropriate.
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Habitat, Riverine forests, flatwoods, beaches, fresh and brackish marshes, disturbed sites.
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Did You Know?, Larval host for tawny edged skipper.
- Majestic and graceful
- Slender trunk, 4" in diameter
- Highly nutritious fruit
Pluchea odorata
Based on maps from BONAP and ISB, this species ranges across the southern and central US and up the eastern seabord to Massachusetts. The entire Flor
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Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water
Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
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Habitat, Marsh and swamp edges
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers
Nectar attracts bees and many different kinds of butterflies. Documented bee visitors include Halictzcs ligatus, Dial
- Stunning
- Excellent small hedge
- Easy/Carefree
Platanus occidentalis
It's paint-chip white and brown-green bark provides winter interest.
The natural range is from north Florida into southern Canada. This species has
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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, Stream banks, in floodplains and bottomlands.
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Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Fall color, Showy fruits, Hurricane wind resistance
- Moderately salt tolerant
- Rare, despite being a South Florida native
- Smaller stature
- Prefers acidic soil
- Showy clusters orange-yellow fruits in spring
- Hummingbird favorite
Coreopsis linifolia
Weedy.
Casual wildflower garden, butterfly garden or meadow. Likely to be considered a weed by many.
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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, Will reseed and can become weedy.
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Habitat, Wet flatwoods, wet prairie, open transitional prairie bordering cypress swamps, wet roadside ditches.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts butterflies and pollinators.
- Available multi-stalked
- Wonderfully fragrant flowers
- Stately and uncommon
Cyrilla racemiflora
Hedge 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, In unburned natural wetlands, this plant sometimes form almost impenetrable thickets along the edge.
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Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.
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Habitat, Swampy sites, wet pine flatwoods, sloughs and edges of cypress swamps, seepage swamps and bogs, savannas, other wet depressional areas.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
Attracts bees (https://wildflower.org).
- Massive, nutrient-dense edible fruit
- Beautiful purple-brown crownshaft
- Rapid growth
- Cold tolerant
- Ringed trunk
