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Help us monitor these most wanted plants!
Black mangrove
Avicennia germinans
Black mangrove
Avicennia germinans
Older trees are distinguished by their dark, scaly bark, hence the name "Black Mangrove." The thick, leathery leaves secrete salt and the underside of the leaf is a lighter shade of green. The small, white flowers are fragrant and provide a great source of nectar for honeybees. Many root projections (pneumatophores) surround the tree.
Read more on the species info page.
Read more on the species info page.
Blackbead
Pithecellobium guadalupense
Blackbead
Pithecellobium guadalupense
Leaves of this small tree have 4 leaflets, in pairs. The fragrant flowers are cream or pink colored, about 1 inch diameter on stalks. Seed pods are twisted with black seeds with bright red fruit-like attachments.
Read more on the species info page.
Read more on the species info page.
Gumbo limbo
Bursera simaruba
Gumbo limbo
Bursera simaruba
The reddish-brown peeling papery bark on the trunk earned this tree the nickname "the tourist tree." Flowers are small and greenish white.
Read more on the species info page.
Read more on the species info page.
Jamaica dogwood
Piscidia piscipula
Jamaica dogwood
Piscidia piscipula
A tall tree, the Jamaica dogwoods leaves are compound, with 5 to 7, 1.5 to 4 inch long leaflets. The flowers have lavender or pink petals that hang in long clusters. Historically the tree roots, bark, and leaves were used to stun fish.
Read more on the species info page.
Read more on the species info page.
Locust berry
Byrsonima lucida
Locust berry
Byrsonima lucida
Nicknamed "the Buzzing Tree" because of its importance to native bees. This shrub has small, 1.5 inch long, oval leaves. The small, clustered flowers start off white, but turn pink and red. It is the host and nectar plant for the Florida Duskywing and many animals eat the berries. It flowers throughout the year, but peaks in the spring/summer.
Read more on the species info page.
Read more on the species info page.
Poisonwood
Metopium toxiferum
Poisonwood
Metopium toxiferum
Poisonwood belongs to the same family as poison ivy, so be careful. The small white flowers occur in clusters. The ripe fruit is eaten by the white-crowned pigeon, a rare species that nests in the Florida Keys.
Read more on the species info page.
Read more on the species info page.
Sea grape
Coccoloba uvifera
Sea grape
Coccoloba uvifera
The leaves are evergreen, almost round in shape. The flowers can be hard to see, yellowish-green to white on slender stalks. The ripe fruit is edible to birds, humans, and other animals.
Read more on the species info page.
Read more on the species info page.
Sea ox-eye daisy
Borrichia frutescens
Sea ox-eye daisy
Borrichia frutescens
This salt-tolerant aster typically colonizes coastal habitats and transitional ecotones. The shrub-like perennial grows about three feet tall and has fleshy green leaves. The bright yellow, daisy-like flower provides nectar for many pollinator species and the plant provides cover for animals like the Lower Keys marsh rabbit.
Read more on the species info page.
Read more on the species info page.
Sea rosemary
Argusia gnaphalodes
Sea rosemary
Argusia gnaphalodes
This rare dune shrub grows 3 to 6 feet high and has a rounded top. The leaves are plump, hairy and silvery green. The clustered flowers grow on one-sided spikes and are white to lavender. It blooms all year and peaks in the winter.
Read more on the species info page.
Read more on the species info page.
Spider lily
Hymenocallis latifolia
Spider lily
Hymenocallis latifolia
This coastal species has leathery leaf blades that often grow 2.5 feet in length. Its spectacular flower extends beyond the leaves and is fragrant, white, with six thin 5-inch long petals.
Read more on the species info page.
Read more on the species info page.
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