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Rudbeckia spp.
Multiple species are native to Florida. Most are attractive and many are easy to grow. This is a catch-all for species not listed individually. Ple
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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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Wildlife, Small seed-eating birds pick out the seeds from the mature flower heads.
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Habitat, Vary by species. Mostly sandhills, bogs, roadsides, ruderal.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attract butterflies, bees and wasps.
- Long emerald crownshaft
- Can be grown indoors
- Somewhat drought tolerant
- Colorful new leafs
- No longer recommended
Gaillardia pulchella
It is difficult to know the native range of this plant in Florida as it has been widely planted on roadsides across much of the state at least since t
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without i
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Considertions, A series of studies in the last 10 years are suggesting that Gaillardia pulchella is likely not native to Florida. It is widely grown and naturaliz
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Wildlife, Birds that eat the seeds include chickadees, titmice, and warblers.
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Habitat, Dry sites, often near the coast.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts many pollinators including native bees, honeybees, butterflies, butterflies and wasps.
- Attractive silver-gray foliage
- Tiered branches
- Showy red berries
- Native
- Lovely dark green, shiny leaves
Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
This species can be distinguished from related non-natives by its trailing stems and lance-shaped leaves.
Stachytarpheta urticifolia, commonly sold by
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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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Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds.
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Habitat, Coastal strand, open areas in dry mesic hardwood forests, sometimes nestled under trees along sandy roadsides.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host for tropical buckeye (Junonia genoveva) butterfly.
Nectar plant for many butterflies and moths including: Bahamian swallow
- Highly nutritious fruit
- Rapid growth
- Towering
- Iconic symbol of the south
Ilex ambigua
Plant as a small understory tree. Good as a general background plant that is appropriate to wildlife.
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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, It's dioecious; so make sure you have at least one male plant in the vicinity to produce berries on the females.
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Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds and small mammals.
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Habitat, Dry hammocks, sandhills, scrub, dunes.
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Did You Know?, Showy fruits
Bees pollinate flowers.
- Moderately slow growth
- Attractive flowers, typically deep orange
- Critically endangered
- Stunning
Zigadenus glaberrimus
Moist wildflower garden, especially acidic gardens oriented toward sphagnum, pitcher plants, and similar bog species.
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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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Wildlife, Attracts pollinators.
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Habitat, Flatwoods, wet prairie, savanna.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
- Recently classified invasive
- Pleasant rounded shape
- Often draped with Spanish moss
- Smaller stature
- Stunning long emerald crownshaft
Rhus aromatica
Range barely reaches north Florida.
Specimen shrub, border, windbreak. This is a spreading, somewhat sprawling shrub.
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Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.
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Wildlife, Provides nesting, roosting and loafing cover for a variety of songbirds and game birds.
Its fruit may not be the first choice of many kinds of wildlif
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Habitat, Dry, somewhat open woods.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage
Primarily pollinated by bees.
- Formal, old-world appearance
- Thrives only briefly, about 1 year
- Drought tolerant
Nephrolepis biserrata
This fern is listed as Threatened by the FDACS. Where is it, however, it is highly robust.
Borders, groundcover on wooded edges. This is a very tall
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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, Swamps, hammocks.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Somewhat salt tolerant
- No longer recommended
- Available single or multi-stalked
Celtis occidentalis
Further north, this can be a moderately large tree.
Not typically grown but worth retaining if present as an understory tree.
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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, Has a shallow root system that may prevent plants from growing under it.
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Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by a number of birds and small mammals.
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Did You Know?, Larval host for hackberry emperor (Asterocampa celtis), and mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) butterflies. Sole larval host plant for American snout
- Attractive variegated foliage
- Elegant
- Cold tolerant
- Fast growth
Zanthoxylum clava-herculis
Wood is quite soft and weak. This author had one break in a storm. It did however resprout from low on the trunk and the sprout is now about 15 ft t
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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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Considertions, Quite thorny.
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Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife eat the fruit.
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Habitat, Hammocks, wet woods, dunes, shell middens.
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Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns
Larval host for giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes).
- Attracts butterflies and bees
- Showy display of fruit
- Beautiful sweeping fronds with drooping leaflets
- Killed by citrus greening (HLB)
Ilex krugiana
Listed as Threatened in Florida. Please acquire only from appropriately licensed sources.
Specimen tree or understory tree.
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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, Fruits are eaten by birds.
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Habitat, Rockland hammock, pine rockland. Disturbed areas.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
Bees pollinate flowers.
- Flowers year round
- Highly versatile
- Will not tolerate frost
- Not as popular as it once was
- Unique swollen blue-green to silver trunk
Quercus myrtifolia
This plant can form clones from underground stems. It is adapted to fire environments.
Forms a thicket with many sprouts from spreading roots
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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, Small mammals use the acorns.
Provides significant food and cover for wildlife.
The acorns are utilized by squirrels.
An important food source for th
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Habitat, Scrub, scrubby flatwoods, scrubby sandhill.
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Did You Know?, Hurricane wind resistance
Larval host for Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) and white-M hairstreak (P
- Silvery blue-green fronds
- Smaller stature
- Easy/Carefree
- Attractive glossy leaves
Woodwardia areolata
This colony-forming fern is well-behaved in the landscape.
Use as a groundcover in moist areas, 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, It grows best in drier areas if there is some shade. In full sun, it requires reliable moisture.
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Wildlife, Provides cover for small wildlife such as toads.
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Habitat, Dome swamp, hydric hammock, seep slopes over limestone, hydric pine flatwoods.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- Edible, healthy fruit
- Unusual deep green leaves with bronze underside
- Excellent small hedge
- Moderately slow growth
- Elegant and stately
- Compact size
