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Very Common Unusual Butterflies Clear all
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Thalia geniculata
Used for wetland restoration. Attractive for planting in surface water management ponds. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Dies back in the winter. , Wildlife, Provides hiding areas for water birds some of which hide their nests in patches of this tall plant. , Habitat, Marshes, swamps, roadside ditches. Usually in areas with relatively high nutrients and relatively high light. Rarely under a dense canopy. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Host plant for Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius).   Single gray eggs are laid on the leaves. After emerging, Br
  • Requires shade when young
  • Pyramidal crown
  • Requires ample space and light
  • Wonderfully fragrant flowers
  • Unique, sweet almond flavor
  • Does best with periodic fertalization
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Ilex opaca
Both male and female plants required for pollination and seed set. Specimen tree.  Screen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Sharp spines (teeth) on leaves. , Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds. , Habitat, Upland woods, second bottom but will not tolerate long flooding. Often an understory plant. Documented in Lee County in a site likely to be natural. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Bees pollinate flowers.
  • Fruit eaten by birds
  • Does best in warmer areas of South Florida
  • Moderately slow growth
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Asclepias perennis
Small specimen plant in wet areas.  Does well in bog gardens and rain gardens or bioswales. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Toxic. , Habitat, Marshes, swamps , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host to the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus), and soldier butterfly, (Danaus eresimus). A
  • Relatively uncommon in South Florida
  • Can be trimmed into manicured shapes
  • Beautiful pinwheel flowers, often multicolored
  • Ideal with Mediterranean architecture
  • Wide umbrella-shaped canopy
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Taxodium distichum
Younger specimens have a conical shape, but older trees tend to flatten out at the top. In some areas, the strangler fig (Ficus aurea)has strangled ma , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can produce knees, even if grown in uplands. , Wildlife, Attracts seed-eating birds. Valuable as roosting and nesting areas for colonial wading birds. , Habitat, Riverine swamps, large swamps around lakes. Inundated areas associated with some form of flowing water. Floodplains, sloughs, strands. May be assoc , Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for baldcypress sphinx (Isoparce cupressi) moth.
  • Not as popular as it once was
  • Very full crown
  • Often draped with Spanish moss
  • Iconic symbol of the south
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Seymeria spp.
They are included here because they are valuable to insects and because they are lovely and good to have in a native garden if you are lucky enough to , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Both species are hemi-parasitic (semi-parasitic) and difficult to grow without appropriate host plants. , Habitat, Open upland woods and disturbed edges. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for  black buckeye. Attracts insects.
  • Compact size
  • Does best in cooler areas of South Florida
  • Colorful new leafs
  • Tropical silhouette
  • Excellent small to medium hedge
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Pithecellobium unguis-cati
Specimen shrub.  Thorniness makes it a good property edge hedge. , 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 , Considertions, Spiny , Wildlife, Birds eat the fruits (and the red&black arils). , Habitat, Dry coastal hammocks and shell mounds. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Thorns Larval host  for cassius blue (Leptotes cassius theonus), large orange sulphur (Phoebis agarithe), and Miami blue (Cyclargus th
  • Ringed trunk
  • Striking silhouette
  • Drought tolerant
  • Slender trunk, 4" in diameter
  • Flowers year round
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Eryngium aquaticum
Moist wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Wet prairie, wet pine flatwoods, fresh to brackish marshes, bogs, ditches, swamps. Especially in areas where limestone is close to the surface. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many pollinators; is especially important for native bees.
  • Rapid growth
  • Stout, swollen trunk
  • Will not tolerate frost
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Vaccinium stamineum
Specimen shrub. Fine foliage. Does well adjacent to structures or woods. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Requires acid soil. , Wildlife, Attracts many pollinators--is important to native bees. Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit. , Habitat, Dry sites. Upland mixed forests, sandhill, flatwoods, scrub. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers
  • Slow Growth
  • Excellent small hedge
  • Abundance of orange-red flowers in summer
  • Showy creamy white flowers
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Symphyotrichum concolor
Benefits from controlled burns. There are contradictions in herbarium databases, and reliable observations in counties where there are no herbarium sp , 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 , Wildlife, Used as browse by deer to the extent that in some states, browsing is an issue. , Habitat, Dry, sandy , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar plant for many butterfly species but also visited by other native insect pollinators.
  • Tiered branches
  • Wind tolerant
  • Sometime grows horozontially
  • Massive stature
  • Width often exceeds height
  • Slender and elegant
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Illicium floridanum
The distribution mimics the distribution of steepheads, a stream/valley system that originates in a very steep-headed ravine where the water seeps out , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Slope forest, floodplain forest, hydric hammocks, seep stream (banks), steepheads. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Pollinated by a variety of insects, especially native flies and beetles.
  • Attractive and unique swollen trunk
  • Thrives only briefly, about 1 year
  • Massive, nutrient-dense edible fruit
  • Attracts butterflies
  • Requires high humidity
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Stachys floridana
The tuber of this plant is edible and very crisp; it adds texture to salads.  The tuber has a segmented appearance reminiscent of a rattlesnake tail. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Quite aggressive in the landscape and difficult to get rid of because of its deep tubers. , Habitat, Moist-wet disturbed sites. Flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts bees and butterflies.
  • Colorful older leaves
  • Slender trunk, 4" in diameter
  • Self-shedding fronds
  • Intoxicating fragrance
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Forestiera segregata
Hedges, screens. , 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 , Considertions, Reseeds. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit and use the privet for cover.  Especially important for songbirds because the fruits mature before most oth , Habitat, Dry sites. Coastal hammocks, coastal scrub, thickets. , Did You Know?, Hurricane wind resistance Pollinated by bees.
  • Formal appearance
  • Classic Southern tree
  • Unique flowers, with petals like banana peels