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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
Solidago odora var. chapmanii
This forms clumps but does not form large clones, which means it will not take over a garden.
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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Wildlife, Songbirds such as goldfinches and sparrows eat the seeds, and mice and deer browse the foliage and flowers.
Provides cover for many small animals inc
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Habitat, Typically a plant of mesic to dry flatwoods and scrubby flatwoods. Can be ruderal.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Used for nectar by butterflies.
Attracts a wide variety of pollinators, especially bees. Documented bee visitors include Colletes maiz
- Not as popular as it once was
- Slow Growth
- Long-lived perennial
- Native
Brickellia cordifolia
This is a rare plant. Please acquire responsibly (don't steal from the wild).
Not common in the nursery trade (we are aware of one North Florida nurs
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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, Open woodlands
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Especially attractive to butterflies.
- Attractive symmetrical appearance
- Beautiful rounded canopy
- Very rare
- Slender and elegant
- Easy/Carefree
- Prominent pale green crownshaft
Muhlenbergia capillaris
There are three subspecies included in this description. Together, they are found in all coastal counties of Florida and many inland ones. As a gras
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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
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Wildlife, Muhly grass forms a low canopy that small animals can use for shelter and refuge.
Small birds eat the seeds.
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Habitat, Flatwoods, marshes, scrub.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
- Unique foliage and silhouette
- Clusters of tubular flowers
- Fruit attracts wildlife
- Can be kept narrow
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)
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
Juncus effusus
Often planted in restoration and mitigation wetlands. Makes a good plant to border retention ponds. Rain gardens and bioswales.
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Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water
Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
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Wildlife, Used for nesting and as a food source. Said to be deer resistant.
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Habitat, Moist-wet sites. Disturbed wetlands. Very tolerant of grazing.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Beautiful sweeping fronds with drooping leaflets
- Often hosts orchids, ferns and bromiliads
- Requires protection from strong winds
- Striking and exotic
- Dark green leaves
Vachellia farnesiana
Although drought-tolerant, this shrub/small tree may benefit from a few deep, thorough soakings during extremely dry periods. When young, it tends to
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Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges.
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt
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Considertions, Thorns on trunks and branches. Place where flowers and fragrance can be enjoyed, but away from walkways. Can suffer from root rot if too wet.
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Wildlife, The thorny branches make good cover for birds and other wildlife. Fruits are not generally valued. Attracts pollinators.
There are 2 subspecies, V. fa
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Habitat, Coastal uplands, ruderal, shell middens
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns
Attracts pollinators and uses ants both for protection against unwanted insects.
- Briefly bare for about a month in the winter
- Very rare
- Prominant olive crownshaft
- Grows tall, but not massive
- Prominent pale green crownshaft
- Intoxicating fragrance
Bacopa monnieri
Low ground-hugging ground cover in restoration areas, in ditches, and on wetland edges.
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Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water
Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
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Considertions, It can become aggressive in the right conditions.
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Habitat, Lakes edges, stream floodplains, marshes, swamps
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
Larval host plant for white peacock (Anartia jatrophae) butterflies.
Insect pollinated.
Attracts low-flying butter
- Year-round blooms
- Killed by citrus greening (HLB)
- Tall and romantic
- Wind tolerant
