Both the common and scientific genus names refer to the lizard-like shape of the drooping flower head. This is a wetland plant. It can form dense pat , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Eaten by wood ducks and other foraging birds. , Habitat, Shallow water of streams, swamps, wet forests, ditches. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Nectar plant for hairstreaks and other insects esp. bees and flies, but apparently mostly wind p

Adaptable to the casual or wildflower garden. Can be used as groundcover or border plant. Naturalizes. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can spread overly quickly. , Habitat, Open sites, deciduous woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators, especially bees.

It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida and as critically imperiled in South Florida by The Institute for Regional Conservation. Specimen , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock, coastal rock barren, beach dune, coastal strand. Lower Keys only. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage

Shade tree.  Narrow crown is said to make it a good choice for avenues, narrow entryways, and areas between houses.  Can be used as a large container , 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 and other wildlife. , Habitat, Coastal uplands , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Nectar plant for large orange sulphur (Phoebis agarithe), Schaus' swal

The short lived bloom opens before sunrise and is most beautiful from just before dawn till about mid-morning when it fully opens. By night fall it wi , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Dry sandy soils, flatwoods, pine barrens, sandhill, scrub, and disturbed areas , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attract a wide variety of insect pollinators.  One documented bee pollinator is Augochlorella aurata (Deyrup et al. 2002).

Grow on a trellis, but keep it fairly short to keep the flowers at a level where they will be enjoyed. Can be grown as a container plant. , 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 , Habitat, Fringes of mangrove swamps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage May attract sphinx moths.

Wildflower or butterfly garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Wet flatwoods, wet prairie, edges of cypress swamps, floodplain forest, ditches. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many butterflies and pollinators.

Information on salt tolerance comes from northern nurseries in areas where the biggest issue is likely to be salt used for deicing roadsides. This nat , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Thorns. , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and small mammals , Habitat, Floodplains, marshy or swampy shores, cypress swamps and wet thickets, often in shallow water. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Thorns Attracts pollinators and is especially important for native bees.

The silvery undersides of the leaves are striking. Erroneously listed as a host for palamedes swallowtail butterflies. Palamedes swallowtails only fee , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Seeds are eaten by woodpeckers, kingbirds, red-eyed vireos, mockingbirds, robins, thrushes, crows, cardinals, squirrels, mice among others. Deer brows , Habitat, Bay swamp, forested seep slopes, floodplains of small streams, low flatwoods where fire has been excluded. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for Eastern tiger swallowtail (Pterou

Plant at the back of an informal wildflower or butterfly garden--it gets tall. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Moist upland hardwood forests, mixed hardwood-pine forests. Secondary woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many insects including bees and butterflies.

Is being replaced  by S. lancifolia in Louisiana where there is salt water intrusion into wetlands.  Apparently much less salt tolerant that S. lancif , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds are attracted to the fruits. , Habitat, Marshes, wetter portions of wet prairies, swamps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts insect pollinators.