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Vaccinium myrsinites
The range includes all of peninsular Florida and the southern parts of Georgia, and Alabama.
Best used as a wildflower as it has a relatively short l
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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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Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.
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Habitat, Scrub, scrubby flatwoods, flatwoods, high pine, cutthroat seep.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
Attracts pollinators. Documented bee species include Augochlorella aurata, A. gratiosa, Augochloropsi
- Dense, full crown
- Does poorly oceanside
- Raised diamond-shaped trunk pattern
Quercus shumardii
Shade tree. Relatively conical or oval in form. Straight trunk.
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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, Acorns used by mammals and birds.
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Habitat, Wet calcareous hammocks, wetland edges and floodplains. Sometimes in bluff microsites.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
Larval host for the white-m hairstreak and Horace's duskywing.
- Very fast growth rate
- Excellent choice for narrow spaces
- Huge extremely fragrant flowers
- Thrives only briefly, about 1 year
- Rapid growth
- Delicious edible fruit
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
Physostegia leptophylla
Water gardens and pond edges. Moist 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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Wildlife, Humminbirds are attracted to the nectar.
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Habitat, Wet prairie, wet savannas, pond edges.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Generally pollinated by bumblebees. Other long tongued bees, hummingbirds and the occasional butterfly sip nectar from the flowers (Ne
- Formal, old-world appearance
- Not recommended
- Huge extremely fragrant flowers
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
Crinum americanum
This is a wetland plant, but it will do well once established in a moist garden setting.
Moist wildflower gardens. Easily grown along streams.
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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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Habitat, Riverine swamps, riverine marshes, open wet prairies.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers
Pollinated by sphinx moths. Larval host for Spanish moth a.k.a. convict caterpillar (Xanthopastis timais)
- Easily trimmed for smaller spaces
- Elegant
- Adequate fertalization required
- Tall and romantic
- Can be trimmed into manicured shapes
Dalea pinnata
Three species occur in Florida. Please plant your local variety.
Wildflower garden where it is very showy in late summer/early 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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Wildlife, Some birds and small mammals consume consume the seeds (https://flawildflowers.org/).
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Habitat, Dry flatwoods, sandhill, scrub. This species can be seen at the Starkey Wilderness Preserve in Pasco County.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia).
Attracts insects, especially bees.
- Majestic, sprawling canopy
- Prominant gray-olive crownshaft
- Tiered branches
Helianthus spp.
For best results, use species naturally found in your area
Wildflower garden. Most species bloom best if in light shade or sun, though it does depend
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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 love the seeds.
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Habitat, Flatwoods, woodlands, ruderal areas.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Bees and butterflies are attracted to sunflowers. The goldenrod soldier beetle (a.k.a. leatherwing beetle(, Chauliognathus pensylvanicu
- Does poorly in very wet soil
- Handsome
- Lovely dark green, shiny leaves
- Tropical silhouette
Persea palustris
This species and other members of the Lauraceae are being attacked by a serious, fatal disease. Do not plant this plant unless you are absolutely sure
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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, Do not move deadwood. It will spread the disease.
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Wildlife, Seed eaten and dispersed by birds.
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Habitat, Shallow areas in swamps, hydric savannas, seep slopes including cutthroat seeps, wet flatwoods, sloughs.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance
Larval host plant for palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes) and spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) butterflies.
Attracts be
- Unusually shaped, asymmetrical tree
- Symmetrical shape
- Not a true pine
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
Magnolia virginiana
The silvery undersides of the leaves are striking.
Erroneously listed as a host for palamedes swallowtail butterflies. Palamedes swallowtails only fee
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Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
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Wildlife, Seeds are eaten by woodpeckers, kingbirds, red-eyed vireos, mockingbirds, robins, thrushes, crows, cardinals, squirrels, mice among others.
Deer brows
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Habitat, Bay swamp, forested seep slopes, floodplains of small streams, low flatwoods where fire has been excluded.
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Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
Larval host plant for Eastern tiger swallowtail (Pterou
- Briefly bare for about a month in the winter
- Attractive silver-gray foliage
- Heavy feeder
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
