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Bidens alba
Many of us think of this is a weed that we allow to grow for its value to insects.
Casual settings, especially toward the rear of wildflower gardens
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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, Once you have this plant, you will always have this plant. It can be quite weedy. The seeds have barbs which stick to clothing and pet fur.
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Habitat, Ruderal.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts native bees, butterflies.
Larval host for the dainty sulphur (Nathalis iole) butterfly.
- Moderately salt tolerant
- Relatively uncommon in South Florida
- Attractive blue-green to silver leaflets
Iva frutescens
Retain in the landscape for coastal protection where present. Used for dune restoration.
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Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation)
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and
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Wildlife, Provides some cover for wildlife and maybe some foods.
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Habitat, Salt marsh, dunes.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
- Highly nutritious fruit
- Abundance of orange-red flowers in summer
- Unique, sweet, almond-like flavor
- Pineapple-like showy fruits (female plants)
Quercus velutina
Shade tree. Forest tree.
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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, Birds, squirrel and other wildlife consume the acorns.
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Habitat, Xeric to dry-mesic pine-oak-hickory woods, sometimes on bluff microsites.
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Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
Larval host for the white-M hairstreak.
- Unique flowers, with petals like banana peels
- Not a true pine
- Deciduous
- Unique and prized
- Wonderfully fragrant at night
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
Bacopa caroliniana
Lemon bacopa is distinguished by blue flowers, a hairy upper stem, and by the lemony scent of its crushed foliage.
Spreading ground cover around the
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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, Marshes, swamps, ditches
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Larval host plant for white peacock (Anartia jatrophae) butterflies. Insect pollinated.
- Thrives only briefly, about 1 year
- Showy red berries
- Highly nutritious fruit
Asclepias tuberosa
Sometimes difficult to establish in new areas, but definitely worth the effort.
Wildflower garden, meadow.
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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, Reported to attract hummingbirds.
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Habitat, Sandhill, clayhill, scrub, ruderal
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts butterflies, bees, other insects.
Larval host to the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) a
- Pineapple-like showy fruits (female plants)
- Retains leaves until just before blooming
- Long emerald crownshaft
- Thrives only briefly, about 1 year
- Beautiful purple-brown crownshaft
- Attracts butterflies
Solidago odora var. chapmanii
This forms clumps but does not form large clones, which means it will not take over a garden.
Wildflower garden
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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, Songbirds such as goldfinches and sparrows eat the seeds, and mice and deer browse the foliage and flowers.
Provides cover for many small animals inc
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Habitat, Typically a plant of mesic to dry flatwoods and scrubby flatwoods. Can be ruderal.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Used for nectar by butterflies.
Attracts a wide variety of pollinators, especially bees. Documented bee visitors include Colletes maiz
- Not as popular as it once was
- Slow Growth
- Long-lived perennial
- Native
Polystichum acrostichoides
The range of this species includes much of eastern North America up into southern Canada. Its occurrence in Florida is sparse with appropriate substr
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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, Benefits from periodic removal of old fronds.
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Habitat, Rocky hammocks and upper margins of swamps.
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Did You Know?, Interesting foliage
- No longer recommended
- Highly wind tolerant
- Stately and uncommon
- Unusual stilt roots
- Beloved in South Florida
Crataegus crus-galli
Small specimen tree. Slow growing. Hedge.
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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, Thorns of up to 3 inches long from branches and trunk.
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Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.
Browsed by deer and rabbits.
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Habitat, Open woods, upland woods.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits
Larval food for hummingbird clearwing moth(Hemaris thysbe), striped hairstreak butterfly(Satyrium liparops), and blinded
- Retains leaves until just before blooming
- Slender profile
- Damaged by citrus canker
- Unique fluffy fronds
Iris verna var. smalliana
Noted for fragrance.
Casual shade garden. It spreads, so eventually acts as a groundcover.
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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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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts bees, esp. bumblebees.
- Stunning
- Wonderfully fragrant, carries a great distance
- Arched, recurving fronds
- Colorful older leaves
- Slow Growth
Echinacea purpurea
Requires a reliable cold period to persist. In most of Florida it can be treated as an annual in gardens.
Listed as Endangered by the State of Florida
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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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Considertions, The further south you go, the more short-lived this species gets. Except in extreme north Florida, treat as an annual or at least don't assume that i
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Wildlife, Small birds and small mammals consume the seed.
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Habitat, Upland glades, openings in upland mixed forests on calcareous soils.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts many pollinators, especially bees.
- Not recommended
- Unique, sweet almond flavor
- Attractive and unique swollen trunk
Symphyotrichum elliottii
Moist wildflower garden. Wetland garden. Plant in full sun and give it plenty of room and plant behind shorter plants.
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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, Clonal--it aggressively sends out suckers. If grown in shady areas, it tends to fall over.
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Habitat, Swamps, brackish and freshwater marshes. Wet flatwoods.
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Did You Know?, Showy flowers
Attracts butterflies, bees and other pollinators
- Elegant and stately
- Requires shade when young
- Excellent choice for narrow spaces
- Imposing stature
- Stunning colorful foliage
