Wet garden. Rain garden. Shade tree for wet areas and along wetland edges. Leaves turn yellow in fall. Slow growing. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and smal mammals. , Habitat, Floodplain forests , swamps, usually in water. , Did You Know?, Fall color Visited by bees and valued by commercial bee keepers as a source of exceptionally sweet honey.  Also said to be wind pollinated.

Fruit is a white berry with indigo pulp. Specimen plant. Shrub border or foundation plant. Will tolerate shearing. Valued for its shiny foliage and d , 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 , Considertions, Often produces spines at the bases of leaves. , Wildlife, Fruits attract birds. Also used for cover. , Habitat, Edges of coastal hammocks, pine rocklands, rocky flats. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Thorns Nectar plant for Schaus' swallowtail (Heraclides aristodemus) and other butterflies. Larval host plant for

Range includes most of eastern and central north Ameria west to the prairie region and north into southeastern Canada.  The southern range limit is in , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Rich woods, calcareous hammocks (in FL) but frequently in acid soils elsewhere. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees -- only butterflies and long-tongued bees can reach the nectar but other insects are attracted to the flo

This is one of Florida's most showy and most under-appreciated wildflowers. Look for it along disturbed roadsides in mid-late winter and early spring. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Sharp thorn-like prickles cover most of the plant. Highly toxic. , Habitat, Ruderal areas. Common on dry roadsides. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Thorns Attracts pollinators including bees, flies, and beetles.  Documented bee species include  Apis mellifera (honeybee), Dialictus