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Rudbeckia spp.
Multiple species are native to Florida.  Most are attractive and many are easy to grow.  This is a catch-all for species not listed individually.  Ple , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Small seed-eating birds pick out the seeds from the mature flower heads. , Habitat, Vary by species. Mostly sandhills, bogs, roadsides, ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attract butterflies, bees and wasps.
  • Long emerald crownshaft
  • Can be grown indoors
  • Somewhat drought tolerant
  • Colorful new leafs
  • No longer recommended
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Bidens laevis
Depending on the weather, this may be either an annual or perennial in Florida. Informal gardens in wet sites. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, The fruits stick to pant legs and animal fur leading to moniker beggarticks. Generally no an issue in the wetland sites where this will grow. , Habitat, Swamps, river edget , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts native bees and butterflies
  • Tall and romantic
  • Fruit attracts wildlife
  • Striking symmetrical appearance
  • Unique and prized
  • Beloved in South Florida
  • Grows tall, but not massive
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Amorpha fruticosa
Multistemmed shrub that can form small thickets. Plant as a screen, hedge, or background plant. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Can become aggressive in some habitats. , Habitat, Moist hammocks, dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia), gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), and silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreu
  • Requires shade when young
  • Colorful older leaves
  • Symmetrical shape
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Hypericum tetrapetalum
Moist wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Foliage and seeds are food source for birds and mammals. , Habitat, Flatwoods, sandhill, ruderal areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators, especially bees. Documented bees include Augochlorella aurata, Dialictzcs coreopsis and D. lniniatulus (Deyrup et
  • Produces aromatic flowers year-round
  • Prominant olive crownshaft, slightly buldging
  • Smaller stature
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Lantana depressa var. depressa
This is a rare South Florida native that has entered the nursery trade. A major concern is hybridization with Lantana strigocamara, a multicolored inv , 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, Birds eat the fruits and spread the seeds. , Habitat, Pine rockland. On limestone. Vacant lots. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers May be pollinated by butterflies during the day and by moths at night (Osorio 2012).  Also visited by bees.
  • Forms an open canopy
  • Lovely dark green, shiny leaves
  • Attractive mottled bark
  • Narrow canopy
  • Beautiful rounded dense canopy
  • Wonderfully fragrant, carries a great distance
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Zanthoxylum clava-herculis
Wood is quite soft and weak.  This author had one break in a storm.  It did however resprout from low on the trunk and the sprout is now about 15 ft t , 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, Quite thorny. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife eat the fruit. , Habitat, Hammocks, wet woods, dunes, shell middens. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Larval host for giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes).
  • Attracts butterflies and bees
  • Showy display of fruit
  • Beautiful sweeping fronds with drooping leaflets
  • Killed by citrus greening (HLB)
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Saururus cernuus
Both the common and scientific genus names refer to the lizard-like shape of the drooping flower head. This is a wetland plant. It can form dense pat , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Eaten by wood ducks and other foraging birds. , Habitat, Shallow water of streams, swamps, wet forests, ditches. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Nectar plant for hairstreaks and other insects esp. bees and flies, but apparently mostly wind p
  • Fragrant in the evening
  • Tall and romantic
  • Pyramidal crown
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Diospyros virginiana
Persimmon wood is very hard and nearly black--it's in the ebony family. Typically grown for its fruit. Plant in full sun. Also useful as an early suc , 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, Tent caterpillars can be an aesthetic issue and fruit drop can be messy. Persimmons are dioecious, so if you wish to have fruit, make sure that you ha , Wildlife, Fruits are used by a broad array of small mammals and some birds. , Habitat, Dry-moist-wet sites. Disturbed sites, wetland edges, old fields, sandhill. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy fruits, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for royal walnut moth (Citheronia regalis), pecan carpenterworm moth (Cossula magnifi
  • Very showy clusters of red flowers
  • Tall and romantic
  • Formal appearance
  • Dense, full crown
  • Wonderfully fragrant
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Lygodesmia aphylla
The short lived bloom opens before sunrise and is most beautiful from just before dawn till about mid-morning when it fully opens. By night fall it wi , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Dry sandy soils, flatwoods, pine barrens, sandhill, scrub, and disturbed areas , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attract a wide variety of insect pollinators.  One documented bee pollinator is Augochlorella aurata (Deyrup et al. 2002).
  • Very showy bright yellow flowers
  • Attractive contrast between flowers and foliage
  • Wonderfully fragrant at night
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Calamintha coccinea
Short lived. Rarely grown as it is difficult to establish. Retain it in the landscape if is is occurring naturally. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Difficult to establish and requires highly specific site conditions. , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. , Habitat, Scrub, in open areas. Sandhills, coastal hammocks. Mostly near the coast. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Attracts  bees, and butterflies.
  • Attractive contrast between flowers and foliage
  • Can be kept narrow
  • Very showy clusters of flowers
  • Can be grown indoors
  • Symmetrical shape
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Lupinus diffusus
Given that this is short-lived (biennial) and difficult to transplant or grow from seed, this is perhaps best encouraged in places where it grows natu , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Hard to establish. Biennial, though may reseed. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Larval host for  frosted elfin (Callophyris irus) butterfly, which is listed as  Endangered in Flori
  • Very full crown
  • Attractive symmetrical appearance
  • Majestic and graceful
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Helianthus agrestis
This is Florida's only native annual sunflower.  The Bradford County location is near both a major road and a railroad and may be a waif. Moist wildf , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals eat the seeds. , Habitat, Pinelands, savannas, ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Primarily pollinated by bees. The goldenrod soldier beetle (a.k.a. leatherwing beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) is a goldenrod pol
  • Showy reddish peeling bark
  • Very showy clusters of red flowers
  • Grows tall, but not massive