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Thalia geniculata
Used for wetland restoration. Attractive for planting in surface water management ponds.
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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, Dies back in the winter.
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Wildlife, Provides hiding areas for water birds some of which hide their nests in patches of this tall plant.
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Habitat, Marshes, swamps, roadside ditches. Usually in areas with relatively high nutrients and relatively high light. Rarely under a dense canopy.
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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
Ilex opaca
Both male and female plants required for pollination and seed set.
Specimen tree. Screen.
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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, Sharp spines (teeth) on leaves.
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Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds.
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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.
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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
Asclepias perennis
Small specimen plant in wet areas. Does well in bog gardens and rain gardens or bioswales.
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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, Toxic.
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Habitat, Marshes, swamps
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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
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
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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 produce knees, even if grown in uplands.
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Wildlife, Attracts seed-eating birds. Valuable as roosting and nesting areas for colonial wading birds.
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Habitat, Riverine swamps, large swamps around lakes. Inundated areas associated with some form of flowing water. Floodplains, sloughs, strands. May be assoc
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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
Erithalis fruticosa
This plant is considered to be Threatened in Florida. Please preserve in the landscape and acquire new plants in an environmentally sound manner (seed
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Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water
Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon (
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Wildlife, Wildlife food and shelter.
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Habitat, Coastal scrub, hammocks, pine rocklands, coastal flats.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage
- Somewhat drought tolerant
- Narrow enough for tight spaces
- Attractive variegated foliage
- Prominent pale green crownshaft
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
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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, Both species are hemi-parasitic (semi-parasitic) and difficult to grow without appropriate host plants.
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Habitat, Open upland woods and disturbed edges.
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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
Pithecellobium unguis-cati
Specimen shrub. Thorniness makes it a good property edge hedge.
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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, Spiny
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Wildlife, Birds eat the fruits (and the red&black arils).
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Habitat, Dry coastal hammocks and shell mounds.
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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
Eryngium aquaticum
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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Habitat, Wet prairie, wet pine flatwoods, fresh to brackish marshes, bogs, ditches, swamps. Especially in areas where limestone is close to the surface.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts many pollinators; is especially important for native bees.
- Rapid growth
- Stout, swollen trunk
- Will not tolerate frost
Bignonia capreolata
To see how crossvine gets its common name, cut a mature stem and you'll see that the pith is cross-shaped.
Climbs using tendrils with adhesive disks.
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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, Its fast growth habit will need to be controlled in a small garden.
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Wildlife, Attracts some butterflies, but mainly hummingbirds as pollinators.
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Habitat, Moist hammocks, dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
- Stunning
- Striking and exotic
- Available single or multi-stalked
- Not recommended
- Attracts butterflies and bees
Reynosia septentrionalis
Wood is dense (hard).
Listed as Threatened by the FDACS.
Screen plant. Specimen shrub or small tree -- you can choose based on how you opt to prune (
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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, Cover and food primarily for birds.
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Habitat, Coastal hammocks.
- Prefers acidic soil
- Requires high humidity
- Magnificent
- Stunning and colorful while in bloom
- Unusual deep green leaves with bronze underside
- Striking silhouette
Vaccinium stamineum
Specimen shrub. Fine foliage. Does well adjacent to structures or woods.
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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, Requires acid soil.
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Wildlife, Attracts many pollinators--is important to native bees.
Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.
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Habitat, Dry sites. Upland mixed forests, sandhill, flatwoods, scrub.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers
- Slow Growth
- Excellent small hedge
- Abundance of orange-red flowers in summer
- Showy creamy white flowers
Tripsacum floridanum
Grows well well north of its native range. Documented in very southern counties with an outlier in Martin County -- that outlier is also unique in th
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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 get messy after cold spells.
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Wildlife, Seeds are eaten by birds. Provides cover for lizzards and other small animals.
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Habitat, Pine rockland. Also cultivated. Dry sites.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
Larval host for Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus).
- Susceptible to breakage, even in moderate winds
- Highly wind tolerant
- Symmetrical shape
- Sometime grows horozontially
- Elegant appearance
