Filters
Sort
Sort
Sort By :
By :
Grid View
List View
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
Varronia globosa
Background shrub.
,
Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water
Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
,
Considertions, Can become weedy in the right conditions.
,
Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume food. Attracts various pollinators especially bees and butterflies.
,
Habitat, Old fields, open areas, edges of hammocks.
,
Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits
Attracts butterflies including malachite, atala, and daggerwinds (Haehle and Brookstone 1999).
- Not recommended
- Readily pruned into attractive shapes
- Elegant and compact
- Salt tolerant
Quercus austrina
Relatively small for an oak. Use as specimen tree or in a grove.
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
,
Wildlife, Birds, squirrels, racoons, deer and other wildlife eat the seeds.
,
Habitat, Well drained bottomlands and bluffs.
,
Did You Know?, Larval host for brown duskywing butterfly (Erynnis horatius), and gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), and white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album).
- Damaged by citrus canker
- Uncommon edible fruit
- Rapid growth
- Unique foliage and silhouette
- Very fast growth rate
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
Rhus aromatica
Range barely reaches north Florida.
Specimen shrub, border, windbreak. This is a spreading, somewhat sprawling shrub.
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
,
Wildlife, Provides nesting, roosting and loafing cover for a variety of songbirds and game birds.
Its fruit may not be the first choice of many kinds of wildlif
,
Habitat, Dry, somewhat open woods.
,
Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
Primarily pollinated by bees.
- Formal, old-world appearance
- Thrives only briefly, about 1 year
- Drought tolerant
Celtis occidentalis
Further north, this can be a moderately large tree.
Not typically grown but worth retaining if present as an understory tree.
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
,
Considertions, Has a shallow root system that may prevent plants from growing under it.
,
Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by a number of birds and small mammals.
,
Did You Know?, Larval host for hackberry emperor (Asterocampa celtis), and mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) butterflies. Sole larval host plant for American snout
- Attractive variegated foliage
- Elegant
- Cold tolerant
- Fast growth
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)
Rhexia spp.
Wildflower in moist garden. Forms colonies.
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
,
Habitat, Wet prairie, cutthroat seep, wet flatwoods, wet roadsides, wetland transition zones.
There are several species most with similar culture in garden set
,
Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts bees and small butterflies. Bees, including Augochloropsis anoizyina and Bombus impatiens have been documented on pale meadow
- Does best in warmer areas of South Florida
- Drought tolerant
- Flowers year round
- Compact and versatile
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
Dalea feayi
Foliage has a strong minty smell.
Dry wildflower garden.
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
,
Wildlife, Some birds consume consume the seeds .
,
Habitat, Scrub, scrubby flatwoods.
,
Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers
Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia).
Attracts pollinators, especially bees. Documented native bees inc
- Bright red fruits
- Long-lived perennial
- Delicious edible fruit
Spartina bakeri
Large clump-forming grass with uses as tall groundcover, specimen plant, or border plant. Nice along edges of ponds and water features.
,
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
,
Habitat, Wet prairie, edges of marshes, but mostly inland--rarely coastal.
,
Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Magnificent
- Adequate moisture required
- Requires protection from strong winds
- Beloved in South Florida
Ilex opaca var. arenicola
Specimen plant. Slow growing.
,
Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
,
Considertions, Leaves have sharp spines. It's dioecious; so make sure you have at least one male plant in the vicinity to produce berries on the females.
,
Wildlife, Fruits principally eaten by birds.
,
Habitat, Scrub.
,
Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Thorns
Pollinated by bees. Documented bee species include Augochloropsis sumptuosa, Megachilepetulans and Xylocop
- Prominant gray-olive crownshaft
- Colorful older leaves
- Recently classified invasive
- Unusually shaped, asymmetrical tree
- Somewhat drought tolerant
- Unique, sweet, almond-like flavor
