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Bidens alba
Many of us think of this is a weed that we allow to grow for its value to insects.
Casual settings, especially toward the rear of wildflower gardens
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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, Once you have this plant, you will always have this plant. It can be quite weedy. The seeds have barbs which stick to clothing and pet fur.
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Habitat, Ruderal.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts native bees, butterflies.
Larval host for the dainty sulphur (Nathalis iole) butterfly.
- Moderately salt tolerant
- Relatively uncommon in South Florida
- Attractive blue-green to silver leaflets
Rosa carolina
Information on salt tolerance comes from northern nurseries and likely relates to tolerance of salt used for de-icing or roadways. The extent to whic
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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, Thorny (well, you would expect that for a rose!)
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Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and small mammals.
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Habitat, Dry deciduous forests. Also cultivated.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Thorns
Attracts a variety of insects, especially important for native bees.
- Uncommon edible fruit
- Can be grown indoors
- Attractive dark green leaves
Celtis occidentalis
Further north, this can be a moderately large tree.
Not typically grown but worth retaining if present as an understory tree.
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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, Has a shallow root system that may prevent plants from growing under it.
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Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by a number of birds and small mammals.
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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
Chrysopsis gossypina
Three subspecies occur in Florida. The subspecies ranges somewhat overlap. Subspecies cruiseana is listed as Endangered by the State of Florida.
In
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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, Becomes less than attractive after flowering.
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Wildlife, Primarily wind dispersed, but small birds consume seed.
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Habitat, Scrub, sandhills.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Butterflies and bees including green metallic, sweat, leafcutter, bumble and mining bees (Florida Wildflower Foundation).
- Clusters of tubular flowers
- Wonderfully fragrant
- Showy red berries
- Easy/Carefree native
- Swollen, succulent branches
- Prominant olive crownshaft
Dirca palustris
The common name refers to the pliable twigs.
Use as a border plant, foundation plant, or understory shrub in a shady, moist setting.
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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, Can cause serious skin irritation and is somewhat toxic to ingest.
A rare shrub, so may not adapt well into home landscapes.
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Habitat, Mesic slope forests, ravines and bluffs.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
Insects visit the flowers, but likely the plant does not rely upon them. Visits apparently opportunistic. (Williams, 2004).
- Showy display of fruit
- Thrives only briefly, about 1 year
- Attractive tiered canopy
- Ringed trunk
- Prominent pale green crownshaft
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
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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, Eaten by wood ducks and other foraging birds.
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Habitat, Shallow water of streams, swamps, wet forests, ditches.
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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
Vallesia antillana
It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida and as critically imperiled in South Florida by The Institute for Regional Conservation.
Specimen
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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, Tropical rockland hammock, coastal rock barren, beach dune, coastal strand. Lower Keys only.
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Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
- Lush, dense shade tree
- Beloved in South Florida
- Deciduous
- Highly wind tolerant
- Highly salt tolerant
- Underutilized
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
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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, 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
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Wildlife, Fruits are used by a broad array of small mammals and some birds.
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Habitat, Dry-moist-wet sites. Disturbed sites, wetland edges, old fields, sandhill.
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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
Hibiscus aculeatus
Tolerates winter flooding.
This is a wetland plant. It is rarely grown, but it has potential in appropriate sites.
Wet wildflower garden. For appeara
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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, Moist sites. Hydric and mesic pine flatwoods, edges of sloughs, savannas, bogs, ditches.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host of Gray Hairstreak, Painted Lady Butterfly, Common Checkered Skipper and Tropical Checkered Skipper butterflies and four
- Can be trimmed into manicured shapes
- Unusually shaped, asymmetrical tree
- Fragrant clusters of flowers in fall
- Cold tolerant
- Wide umbrella-shaped canopy
- Not recommended
Oxydendrum arboreum
Specimen tree. Red to yellow in the fall.
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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, Steep stream banks and ridges, hammocks, bluffs.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers
Attracts bees and other pollinators.
- Prized scent, used in commercial perfumes
- Does best in cooler areas of South Florida
- Unique, fern-like leaves
Vernonia gigantea
The genus name honors the English botanist William Vernon, who did fieldwork in North America.
Back of a moist wildflower garden. Can also use on the
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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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Habitat, Exposed sand and gravel bars of streams during low water, stream banks, hydric to wet mesic pine flatwoods. Rich soils. Ruderal.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Nectar attracts butterflies and native beens.
Larval host for spring azure butterfly.
- Colorful new leafs
- Rare, despite being a South Florida native
- Beautiful rounded dense canopy
Ximenia americana
May be semi-parasitic on the roots of other plants which makes it challenging to grow. Best planted near a potential host such as an oak. May die back
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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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Considertions, Has thorns.
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Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife will eat the fruit.
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Habitat, Scrub, xeric hammocks, swamps.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Thorns
Attracts pollinators, especially bees. Documented bees in clude Agapostemon splendens, Augochloropsis sumptuosa,
- Stunning
- Wide umbrella-shaped canopy
- Medium stature
- Produces aromatic flowers year-round
- Narrow canopy
