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

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.

This is a State-endangered species.  Please honor all state regulations regarding growing and transport of this species. Plant in wet prairie setting , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Foliage and seeds are food source for birds and mammals. , Habitat, Open seep slopes, wet prairie, wet flatwoods at margins of seasonal ponds, wetland transition zones. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts insect pollinators, especially bees.

Toxic  to humans. and some animals. Specimen plant, foundation planting, screen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Old stems should be pruned. Plant tends to sucker, so plant where suckers are an asset. , Wildlife, Some birds and other wildlife consume fruit.  Foliage is poisonous. , Habitat, Seepage areas, moist hammocks, swamps, river floodplains , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts bees and butterflies.

Mostly a curiosity in the shade garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, All parts of the plant contain calcium oxalate and are poisonous. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit. , Habitat, Moist hammocks, , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Pollinated by flies.

Shade tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Fruits are used by birds. , Habitat, Hammocks. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts a variety of insect pollinators.

Wildflower garden or butterfly garden. A number of cultivars exist, but none are grown widely in Florida. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Self-seeds, so it can become weedy. , Habitat, Dry sites. Ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many butterflies and  pollinators.

The cells of the stamen hairs of some Tradescantia are colored blue, but when exposed to sources of ionizing radiation such as gamma rays, the cells m , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, May cause allergic reaction in dogs and cats characterized by red itchy skin. , Wildlife, Attracts pollinators. , Habitat, Sandhill, scrub and disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers

Some literature sources suggest that this species may have some salt tolerance as it apparently grows along the upper edges of some salt marshes, but , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Moist-wet sites. Wet flatwoods, roadside ditches in former flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers This plant is an insect magnet! It attracts insects including long-tongued bees, green metallic bees, bee flies, butterflies, and skipp

Natural landscapes including meadows and butterfly gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Purple thistle is a thorny plant - be very careful when handling. , Wildlife, The seeds are rich in oil, an important food source for seed-eating birds. , Habitat, Coastal plain, edges of salt marshes, pinewoods, prairies and disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Larval host to little metalmark (Calephelis virginiensis) and painted lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies. N

Used for shoreline protection. A major saltmarsh plant. Useful for erosion control. , Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation) High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and , Wildlife, Birds and other animals eat the seeds. , Habitat, Salt marsh, tidal flats, beaches. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Larval food for Louisiana eyed silkmoth (Automeris louisiana)