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.

Edible, very hot fruits , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds (especially mockingbirds) eat the green, un-ripened peppers. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits Attracts bees.

Its twisting shape makes it an interesting specimen tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Fast growing, fairly weak hence somewhat prone to breaking. , Wildlife, Squirrels and other rodents eat the seeds. , Habitat, Found naturally in floodplains. Has become widely established in ruderal settings. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Attracts pollinators, particularly native bees.   Larval host for Cecropia silkmoth (Hyalophora cecropia).

Can be used as an accent plant or grown in the mid-rear of the garden. Also suitable in wildflower gardens. Its broad tolerance of soil and moisture c , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, The coarse foliage and prickly balls of flowers are not popular as a source of food with mammalian herbivores, although they may nibble off the ends o , Habitat, Moist-moist-wet sites. Cutthroat seeps, savannas, wet flatwoods, wet prairie, coastal flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butte

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

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.

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 ( , 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, Cover and food primarily for birds. , Habitat, Coastal hammocks.

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.

Informal shady semi-shady gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Moist hardwood forests , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts bees, butterflies.  Larval host for common buckeye (Junonia coenia).

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.

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.

Curiosity in wetland gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Like many members of the Arum family, all parts of this plant are toxic. , Habitat, Shallow water of pools, streams, and swamps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Pollinated by bees, flies, and beetles (Florida Wildflower Foundation)