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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
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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, Small seed-eating birds pick out the seeds from the mature flower heads.
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Habitat, Vary by species. Mostly sandhills, bogs, roadsides, ruderal.
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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
Gaillardia pulchella
It is difficult to know the native range of this plant in Florida as it has been widely planted on roadsides across much of the state at least since t
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without i
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Considertions, A series of studies in the last 10 years are suggesting that Gaillardia pulchella is likely not native to Florida. It is widely grown and naturaliz
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Wildlife, Birds that eat the seeds include chickadees, titmice, and warblers.
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Habitat, Dry sites, often near the coast.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts many pollinators including native bees, honeybees, butterflies, butterflies and wasps.
- Attractive silver-gray foliage
- Tiered branches
- Showy red berries
- Native
- Lovely dark green, shiny leaves
Coleataenia longiflora
Restoration proects and casual moist-site plantings.
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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, Provides cover for invertebrates.
Seeds eaten by some birds and small animals.
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Habitat, Wetland edges and low adjacent uplands.
- Magnificent showy flowers in summer
- Elegant and compact
- Will not tolerate frost
- Symmetrical shape
- Attractive symmetrical appearance
Zigadenus glaberrimus
Moist wildflower garden, especially acidic gardens oriented toward sphagnum, pitcher plants, and similar bog species.
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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, Attracts pollinators.
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Habitat, Flatwoods, wet prairie, savanna.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
- Recently classified invasive
- Pleasant rounded shape
- Often draped with Spanish moss
- Smaller stature
- Stunning long emerald crownshaft
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
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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
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Considertions, Quite thorny.
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Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife eat the fruit.
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Habitat, Hammocks, wet woods, dunes, shell middens.
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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)
Clematis reticulata
Grow on a fence, trellis, or arbor. In informal settings, allow to twine around tree or shrub stems. Interesting bell-shaped flowers and whorled white
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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, Birds and other small wildlife consume seed.
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Habitat, Dry mesic upland mixed forest, sandhill.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits
Larval host for mournful thyris (Thyris sepulchralis).
Attracts various pollinators, especially bees.
- Adequate fertalization required
- Thrives only briefly, about 1 year
- Showy red berries
- Elegant appearance
- Swollen, succulent branches
Woodwardia areolata
This colony-forming fern is well-behaved in the landscape.
Use as a groundcover in moist areas, rain gardens, or bioswales.
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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, It grows best in drier areas if there is some shade. In full sun, it requires reliable moisture.
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Wildlife, Provides cover for small wildlife such as toads.
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Habitat, Dome swamp, hydric hammock, seep slopes over limestone, hydric pine flatwoods.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Edible, healthy fruit
- Unusual deep green leaves with bronze underside
- Excellent small hedge
- Moderately slow growth
- Elegant and stately
- Compact size
Acer saccharinum
Fall foliage color is yellow. While used extensively as a street tree in the north, this fast growing species is relatively weak.
Specimen tree. Freq
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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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Considertions, Its prolific root system is notorious for invading and clogging leaky underground drainage and water lines. Susceptible to wind or ice damage due to i
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Wildlife, The are important food for squirrels during late winter/early spring. Budburst comes during the critical late winter-spring period when stored food s
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Habitat, Floodplains.
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Did You Know?, Fall color
Attracts bees.
Larval host for Cecropia silkmoth (Hyalophora cecropia).
- Relatively uncommon in South Florida
- Magnificent
- Narrow enough for tight spaces
- Susceptible to breakage, even in moderate winds
- Grows tall, but not massive
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
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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, Birds and small mammals eat the seeds.
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Habitat, Pinelands, savannas, ruderal.
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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
Telmatoblechnum serrulatum
This is one of the most common ferns in central-southern Florida and potentially one of the most beautiful.
Ground cover for moist, shady sites. Also
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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, Will spread unless contained by physical or environmental limits. Periodic removal of old fronds is recommended.
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Habitat, Marshes, swamps
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Unique swollen blue-green to silver trunk
- Requires high humidity
- Tropical silhouette
- Unique foliage
- Beautiful purple-brown crownshaft
- Moderately drought tolerant
Coreopsis major
Leaves are whorled at intervals around the stem.
Wildflower garden, butterfly garden or meadow. Stems spread but not aggressive.
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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, Sandhill.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts insects, especially bees and butterflies.
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Tolerance
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Habitat
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Did You Know?
- Christmas tree shape
- Unique, sweet, almond-like flavor
- Decorative diamond-shaped trunk pattern
- Ringed trunk
Carya aquatica
Specimen tree in wet settings. This is a good plant to grow in floodplains.
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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, Nut and leaf drop can be messy in a home landscape.
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Wildlife, Ducks and other wildlife consume nuts.
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Habitat, Swamps
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
Larval host for many moths including; luna moth (Actias luna), hickory leafroller moth (Argyrotaenia juglandana), royal walnut mo
- Available multi-stalked
- Elegant and stately
- Extremely popular
- Completely bare in winter
- Attractive light to medium green crownshaft
