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Physostegia leptophylla
Water gardens and pond edges. Moist wildflower gardens.
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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, Humminbirds are attracted to the nectar.
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Habitat, Wet prairie, wet savannas, pond edges.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Generally pollinated by bumblebees. Other long tongued bees, hummingbirds and the occasional butterfly sip nectar from the flowers (Ne
- Formal, old-world appearance
- Not recommended
- Huge extremely fragrant flowers
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
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
Phlox spp.
Florida has a number of Phlox species, almost all found in forested settings. The common roadside species (Phlox drummondii) is not a Florida native (
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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 phlox species attract hummingbirds.
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Habitat, Open woods.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts butterflies and bees.
- Very full crown
- Smaller stature
- Wonderfully fragrant
- Does best in cooler areas of South Florida
- Moderately drought tolerant
- Decorative diamond-shaped trunk pattern
Hibiscus aculeatus
Tolerates winter flooding.
This is a wetland plant. It is rarely grown, but it has potential in appropriate sites.
Wet wildflower garden. For appeara
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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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Habitat, Moist sites. Hydric and mesic pine flatwoods, edges of sloughs, savannas, bogs, ditches.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host of Gray Hairstreak, Painted Lady Butterfly, Common Checkered Skipper and Tropical Checkered Skipper butterflies and four
- Can be trimmed into manicured shapes
- Unusually shaped, asymmetrical tree
- Fragrant clusters of flowers in fall
- Cold tolerant
- Wide umbrella-shaped canopy
- Not recommended
Carya glabra
Called pignut because pigs eat the nuts.
Excellent specimen or shade tree in areas where its roots will not be disturbed.
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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 tolerate root disturbance. The author has lost multiple trees due to a fungal root pathogen that was apparently able to enter the tree when r
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Wildlife, A favorite food of squirrels.
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Habitat, Xeric hammock, mixed upland forest, pine-oak-hickory woods.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
Larval host for many moths including; luna moth (Actias luna), hickory leafroller moth (Ar
- Majestic
- Beautiful exotic foliage
- Delicious edible fruit
- Year-round blooms
- Christmas tree shape
Bletia purpurea
Retain if present in natural setting. Can be grown in a wildflower 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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Habitat, Pine rocklands, swampy forests on stumps and logs just above high water levels, in humus.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
The flowers do not produce nectar but use food deception to attract various bees including Euglossa, Thygater and Melipona, a genus of
- Width often exceeds height
- Raised diamond-shaped trunk pattern
- Colorful older leaves
- Attractive contrast between flowers and foliage
Sporobolus junceus
In nature, this grows in habitats with frequent fire. In the garden, it will grow best if you remove built-up thatch (or burn it once every few years
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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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Habitat, Flatwoods, sandhills.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
- Stout, swollen trunk
- Very rare
- Beloved in South Florida
- Stunning long emerald crownshaft
- Colorful fall foliage
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Groundcover. Foliage is low and neat even during periods when there are no flowers (flowers in mid-spring). Plant not visible in winter. Can be natura
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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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Habitat, Cutthroat seeps, moist roadsides, hammocks, bogs, river banks.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Beneficial sweat bees, bumble bees, bee flies, and syrphid flies are attracted to nectar and pollen.
- Attractive and unique swollen trunk
- Requires high humidity
- Adequate fertalization required
- Unique fluffy fronds
- Dense, full crown
Borrichia frutescens
Natural range is restricted to coastal areas.
Native borders, foundation plant, especially in salty environments. Can be trimmed.
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Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without injury.
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Considertions, Suckers heavily forming large patches.
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Wildlife, Birds and small mammals use the seeds.
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Habitat, Salt marsh, tidal flats.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Nectar plant for great southern white (Ascia monuste), gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), large orange sulphur (Phoebis agarithe), so
- Will not tolerate frost
- Relatively uncommon in South Florida
- Very full crown
Consolea corallicola
This is an ENDANGERED plant (listed both Florida and US). Please acquire this endemic plant only from a reputable source.
One of several cactus specie
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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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Considertions, Distinctly thorny. Will need protection from invasive cactus moth.
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Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock, coastal rock barren, freshwater tidal swamp and inland margins of mangrove swamp. Photographs are of specimens planted at
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Thorns, Hurricane wind resistance
Consolea corallicola has extremely low genetic diversity as the o
- Prominent pale green crownshaft
- Available single or multi-stalked
- Slender and elegant
- Stunning and colorful while in bloom
- Wind tolerant
Chamaecrista fasciculata
Sources disagree on the salt tolerance of this species.
Sometimes used for erosion control. Good in casual garden settings, especially useful for but
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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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Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume seed which is reported to be particularly important for the bobwhite.
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Habitat, Scrub, high pine (sandhill, clayhill), dry flatwoods, dunes, open disturbed areas where seed is available.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host for cloudless sulfur (Phoebis senna), gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme), sleepy orange (
- Falls over easily, may require staking
- Beautiful sweeping fronds with drooping leaflets
- Beautiful, natural globe shape
- Arched, recurving fronds
- Slender and elegant
- Attractive silver-gray foliage
