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,

Water gardens and pond edges.  Moist wildflower gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Humminbirds are attracted to the nectar. , Habitat, Wet prairie, wet savannas, pond edges. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Generally pollinated by bumblebees.  Other long tongued bees, hummingbirds and the occasional butterfly sip nectar from the flowers (Ne

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,

Groundcover or border plant in shady areas. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, It reseeds easily and can expand aggressively. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume seed. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Bluffs, floodplains, wet hammocks. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits Larval host for pepper and salt skipper (Amblyscirtes hegon), common roadside skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis), and Bell's roadside skipper

The interesting flower shape reminded early settlers of someone standing in a pulpit. Retain if present. Interesting in a moist shade garden as its f , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Poisonous--contains calcium oxalate crystals. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume fruit. , Habitat, Moist hammocks , Did You Know?, Showy fruits Pollinated by flies.

Foliage when crushed smells like citrus. This small tree has an elegant appearance that makes it suited to use as a specimen plant. The glossy evergr , 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, Potentially subject to laurel wilt disease. , Wildlife, Wildlife food plant. , Habitat, Tropical hammocks. This is naturally an understory tree and also as a colonizer of disturbed sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Insect pollinated.  Said to be a good honey plant (Haehle and  Brookwell 1999).

Wildflower garden or butterfly garden. A number of cultivars exist, but none are grown widely in Florida. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Self-seeds, so it can become weedy. , Habitat, Dry sites. Ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many butterflies and  pollinators.

While most of these slow-growing trees were harvested for their wood, one Florida key retained its population because it was privately owned. It's now , 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, Very slow growing--as little as an inch per year after the seedling stage if not fertilized. , Wildlife, Catbirds and mockingbirds eat the seeds. (IRC) , Habitat, Rockland hammock. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for lyside sulphur (Kricogonia lyside) butterflies. (IR

Border plant.  Also used for restoration. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume seed. , Habitat, Moist sites. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits

Groundcover in moist areas. Can be mowed. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Often considered a pest in over-watered lawns. If the lawn is replaced by the "pest" the effect can be attractive. , Habitat, Cutthroat seep, wet prairie, dome swamp. Somestimes in floating mats. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Attracts bees.  A study at the Archbold Biological Station identified the following families of bees using this species: Halictid

Don't confuse this native with the two highly invasive ardisias: coral ardisia (A. crentata) and shoebutton ardisia (A. elliptica). While this will gr , 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, Weak wood. , Wildlife, Birds eat the berries. , Habitat, Moist to dry hammocks , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts Halictid bees.