These species are, in combination, found throughout Florida and from a cultivation perspective, are very similar.  In nature, O. stricta tends to be i , 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, Thorns! The thorns on this plant make weeding around it difficult. Best planted where no one will be walking adjacent to the plant. , Habitat, Coastal dunes, coastal grasslands. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Thorns Nectar plant for Meske's skipper (Hesperia meskei) butterflies. Attracts a variety of insect

Specimen tree. Valued for its foliage which is shiny green on top and silky brown beneath. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Slow growing. May be top-killed by frost in extreme northern parts of its range or when planted to the north of its natural range.  Does resprout from , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume fruit. , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammocks. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Insect pollinated.

Leaves are very small and arranged in circles around the stem at each node giving it a banded appearance. This is a fern ally and reproduces by spores , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, This plant will spread. , Wildlife, Provides good cover at the edges of waterways or ponds. , Habitat, Sandy soils in river floodplains, lake edges, ditches, sloughs. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

The species is hermaphroditic (monecious), meaning flowers have both male and female reproductive structures on the same plant. This is a near-endemic , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Marshes and swamps , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Bee pollinated.

The blue tubular flower opens into 5 petal-like lobes with a white center. Several blossoms grow in a loose cluster. Narrow seed pods and dark yellow , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Ruby-throated hummingbirds are attracted to the nectar.  Avoided by mammalian herbivores. , Habitat, Flatwoods, chalky hills. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers The flowers attract long-tongued insects such as carpenter bees, hummingbird moths, and butterflies.  Not known to be a lar

Difficult to transplant. Clonal. May be used as a hedge and takes to pruning. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Apparently toxic to many mammals , Habitat, Flatwoods, dome swamp (on hummocks), scrub, scrubby flatwoods. In wetlands typically on hummocks. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts bees.  The following bees were observed visiting flowers of Lyonia lucida at Archbold B

Listed as Threatened by the State of Florida.  Please acqure from reputable sources. Screen or hedge plant. Informal foundation shrub. Blooms profuse , 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 , Wildlife, Birds eat the fruits and the red&black arils. , Habitat, Tropical/coastal hammock edges, dunes, fields. Dry sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host  for cassius blue (Leptotes cassius theonus), large orange sulphur (Phoebis agarithe), and Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi be

While somewhat overly aggressive, it can be controlled. The author allows it to climb palm trees but pulls them off the tree to limit their size every , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, This is a fast growing vine. It also layers and suckers. These characteristics can make it weedy. It climbs by means of aerial rootlets, which can dam , Wildlife, Very attractive to hummingbirds which are its primary pollinators. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Riverine forests, mesic & dry mesic hammock especially where disturbed. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for the plebeian sphinx (Paratraea plebeja) moth.

While occurring naturally in wetlands, this plant makes a good shrub in reasonably moist uplands. Use as a background plant in moist, shady areas. Ch , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Dome swamps, riverine swamps, seep slopes. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers Attracts a wide variety of insect pollinators.

Based on BONAP maps and the ISB website, the range of Physalis walteri likely includes the entire peninsula of Florida but becomes restricted to areas , 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 , Wildlife, Fruit is used by generalists. , Habitat, Open sandy areas. Often coastal. , Did You Know?, Attracts bees.

Specimen tree in wet settings. This is a good plant to grow in floodplains. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Nut and leaf drop can be messy in a home landscape. , Wildlife, Ducks and other wildlife consume nuts. , Habitat, Swamps , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Larval host for many moths including; luna moth (Actias luna), hickory leafroller moth (Argyrotaenia juglandana), royal walnut mo

Bloom period can be prolonged by removing flowers as they wither. It does not compete well with aggressive plants. Wildflower garden. Blooms best in , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds which are the primary pollinator. , Habitat, Upland woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers