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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
Quercus austrina
Relatively small for an oak. Use as specimen tree or in a grove.
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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, squirrels, racoons, deer and other wildlife eat the seeds.
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Habitat, Well drained bottomlands and bluffs.
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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.
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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, 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.
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Habitat, Swamps, river edget
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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
Prunus angustifolia
If a single plant of similar stature and flowers is desired, consider flatwoods plum, Prunus umbellatus.
Based on BONAP and ISB maps, the range of thi
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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, Spreads by underground stems forming clumps small thickets. Individual trees are fairly short-lived but the thicket is long-lived. When short-shoots d
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Wildlife, Birds, squirrels and other animals eat the fruit.
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Habitat, Woodland edges, fencerows, open woods. Also cultivated.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits
Flowers attract bees. Documented bee visitors include Dialictus placideizsis, Hylaeus conflzeizs, Euylaezcs pectoralis a
- Majestic, sprawling canopy
- Narrow enough for tight spaces
- Slow Growth
Echinacea purpurea
Requires a reliable cold period to persist. In most of Florida it can be treated as an annual in gardens.
Listed as Endangered by the State of Florida
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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, The further south you go, the more short-lived this species gets. Except in extreme north Florida, treat as an annual or at least don't assume that i
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Wildlife, Small birds and small mammals consume the seed.
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Habitat, Upland glades, openings in upland mixed forests on calcareous soils.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts many pollinators, especially bees.
- Not recommended
- Unique, sweet almond flavor
- Attractive and unique swollen trunk
Amorpha fruticosa
Multistemmed shrub that can form small thickets. Plant as a screen, hedge, or background plant.
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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, Can become aggressive in some habitats.
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Habitat, Moist hammocks, dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests
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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
Nymphoides aquatica
This species is listed as invasive in parts of the world where it is not native.
Water garden, planting of surface water management pond. Often used
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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, Water. Ponds, lakes, quiet streams, swampa, ditches, canals. This species can be seen in the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area in Hillsborough
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Pollinated by bees and flies.
- Easy/Carefree native
- Handsome
- Pyramidal crown
- Does best in cooler areas of South Florida
- Easily trimmed to maintain desired size
- Does poorly in very wet soil
Coreopsis floridana
This is one of our larger (taller and larger flowers) Coreopsis species.
Useful as a colorful wildflower along the edge of a wetland. Often overlooke
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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, Wet prairie, herbaceous seepage areas, wet roadsides.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts many different butterflies and pollinators.
- Easily trimmed for smaller spaces
- Narrow canopy
- Stately and uncommon
- Attractive dark green leaves
Hypericum tetrapetalum
Moist 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, Foliage and seeds are food source for birds and mammals.
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Habitat, Flatwoods, sandhill, ruderal areas.
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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
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
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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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Wildlife, Birds eat the fruits and spread the seeds.
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Habitat, Pine rockland. On limestone. Vacant lots.
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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
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
Chasmanthium latifolium
Groundcover or border plant in shady areas.
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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 reseeds easily and can expand aggressively.
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Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume seed.
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Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Bluffs, floodplains, wet hammocks.
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Did You Know?, Showy fruits
Larval host for pepper and salt skipper (Amblyscirtes hegon), common roadside skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis), and Bell's roadside skipper
- Prominent pale green crownshaft
- Produces aromatic flowers year-round
- Prominent pale green or blue-gray crownshaft
- Fragrant clusters of flowers in fall
- Unusual deep green leaves with bronze underside
