Recommended Florida Native Beach and Dune Plants for Beachfront Properties and Dune Restoration
Notes:
1. Salt tolerance: high (tolerant of heavy and frequent salt spray, salt water flooding); moderate (tolerant of salt spray but subject to leaf burn from heavy
salt spray
or root damage from flooding); low (tolerant of salt laden air and short duration, infrequent salt water flooding but usually in protected ar
eas).
2. Region
: NW = northwest Florida Panhandle; SW = Pinellas to Collier counties; NE = Nassau to Volusia counties; SE = Brevard to Dade counties; Keys
=
rest
ricted to the Florida Keys and adjacent Dade and Monroe County islands. Regions have primarily been determined by the historic distribution of
the
p
lant in Florida’s coastal upland natural communities, not necessarily by the range of areas or habitats where the plant could survive
.
3. So
il Moisture: moist (subject to flooding as within low dune swales); moderate (not subject to frequent flooding but not adapted to deepest sands o
r
d
riest conditions; dry (adapted to deep sands, dune ridges, or well drained rocky soils); and variations for plants adapted across a range of condition
s.
Refe
rences:
1. Nelson, Gil. 2003. Florida’s Best Native Landscape Plants: 200 readily available species for homeowners and professionals. Florida Association of Nativ
e
N
urseries. University Presses of Florid
a.
2. Will
iams, M.J. 2007. Native Plants for Coastal Dune Resotration: what, when and how for Florida. USDA, NRCS, Brooksville Plant Materials Center
,
Bro
oksville, Florid
a.
3. Wun
derlin, Richard P., etal. Plant Atlas. University of South Florida (www.plantatlas.usf.edu
).
S
cientific Name Common Name Salt tolerance Region Soil Moisture
(NW/SW/NE/SE/Keys)
Dune Grasses
Distichlis spicata salt grass high all moist
Muhlenbergia capillaris var. filipes Gulf hairawn muhly grass moderate all moderate
Panicum amarum bitter panic grass high all dry
Panicum vaginatum seashore paspalum high all moderate
Schizachyrium scoparium coastal bluestem high all moderate
Spartina patens marshhay high all moderate
Sporobolus virginicus seashore dropseed high all moist
Uniola paniculata sea oats high all dry
Recommended Florida Beach and Dune Plants Updated on May 2016 Page 1
Scientific Name Common Name Salt tolerance Region Soil Moisture
(NW/SW/NE/SE/Keys)
Groundcovers
Borrichia arborescens sea oxeye high SW, SE, Keys moist
Borrichia frutescens sea oxeye high all moist
Ernodea littoralis golden beach creeper high SW, SE, Keys moderate - dry
Gaillardia pulchella blanket flower moderate all dry
Helianthus debilis East Coast dune sunflower high NE, SE, Keys dry
Helianthus debilis spp. cucumerifolius cucumber leaf dune sunflower high NW, SW dry
Helianthus debilis ssp. vestitus West Coast dune sunflower high SW dry
Hymenocallis latifolia beach spider lily high SW, NE, SE, Keys moist - dry
Ipomoea imperati beach morning glory high all moderate - dry
Ipomoea pes-caprae railroad vine high all moderate - dry
Iva imbricata beach elder high all moist – dry
Sesuvium portulacastrum sea purslane high all moist - moderate
Solidago sempervirens seaside goldenrod high NW, SW, NE, SE moist – moderate
Yucca filamentosa !dam’s needl
e m
oderate NW, SW, NE, SE dry
Shrubs
Ardisia escallonoides marlberry moderate SW, SE, Keys moderate
Argusia gnaphalodes sea lavender high SE, Keys dry
Chrysobalanus icaco coco plum moderate SW, SE, Keys moderate - dry
Erythrina herbacea coral bean low all moderate - dry
Eugenia axillaris white stopper low SW, SE, Keys moderate
Eugenia foetida Spanish stopper low SW, SE, Keys moderate
Forestiera segregata Florida privet low SW, NE, SE, Keys moist -moderate
Recommended Florida Beach and Dune Plants Updated on May 2016 Page 2
Scientific Name Common Name Salt tolerance Region Soil Moisture
(NW/SW/NE/SE/Keys)
Shrubs (continued)
Ilex vomitoria yaupon moderate SW, NE, SE, Keys moderate - dry
Myrica cerifera wax myrtle moderate all moist - moderate
Quercus geminata sand live oak moderate NW, SW, NE, SE dry
Quercus myrtifolia myrtle oak moderate NW, SW, NE, SE dry
Rapanea punctata myrsine moderate SW, SE, Keys moist - dry
Serenoa repens saw palmetto high all moist - dry
Suriana maritima bay cedar high SW, SE, Keys dry
Zamia pumila coontie moderate SW, NE, SE, Keys dry
Thorn/Scrub Plants
Agave decipiens false sisal high SW, SE, Keys dry
Caesalpinia bonduc gray nickerbean moderate SW, SE, Keys moderate - dry
Erythrina herbacea coral bean low all dry
Opuntia spp. prickly pears high all moderate - dry
Serenoa repens saw palmetto high all moist - dry
Sideroxylon tenax tough bully low NE, SE dry
Smilax auriculata earleaf catbrier moderate all dry
Ximenia Americana hog plum low NE, SE dry
Yucca aloifolia Spanish bayonet high all dry
Yucca filamentosa !dam’s needle moderate NW, SW, NE, SE dry
Yucca gloriosa Moundlily yucca moderate NW, SW, NE dry
Zanthoxylum clava-hercules Hercules’ club moderate NW, SW, NE, SE dry
Zanthoxylum fagara wild lime moderate SW, NE, SE, Keys moderate - dry
Recommended Florida Beach and Dune Plants Updated on May 2016 Page 3
Scientific Name Common Name Salt tolerance Region Soil Moisture
(NW/SW/NE/SE/Keys)
Trees
Acacia farnesiana sweet acacia moderate all moist - dry
Baccharis halimifolia salt bush high all moist - moderate
Bursera simauruba gumbo limbo moderate SW, SE, Keys moderate - dry
Capparis cynophallophora Jamaica caper moderate SW, SE, Keys dry
Celtis laevigata hackberry low NW, SW, NE, SE moist - moderate
Chrysophyllum oliviforme satinleaf moderate SE, Keys moderate - dry
Citharexylum spinosum fiddleleaf moderate SE, Keys dry
Coccoloba diversifolia pigeon plum high SW, SE, Keys moderate - dry
Coccoloba uvifera sea grape high SW, SE, Keys moderate - dry
Conocarpus ererctus buttonwood high SW, SE, Keys moist - moderate
Cordia sebestana Geiger tree moderate SW, SE, Keys moderate - dry
Ficus aurea golden fig moderate SW, SE, Keys moderate
Ilex x. attenuata East Palatka holly low NW, SW, NE, SE moderate
Ilex cassine dahoon holly low NW, SW, NE, SE moist - moderate
Ilex opaca American holly low NW, SW, NE, SE moderate
Ilex vomitoria yaupon holly moderate NW, SW, NE, SE moderate - dry
Juniperus silicicola southern red dedar moderate NW, SW, NE, SE moderate
Laguncularia racemosa white mangrove high SW, SE, Keys moist - moderate
Magnolia grandiflora southern magnolia moderate NW, SW, NE moderate
Persea borbonia redbay moderate NW, SW, NE, SE moderate
Recommended Florida Beach and Dune Plants
Updated on May 2016 P
age 4
Scientific Name Common Name Salt tolerance Region Soil Moisture
(NW/SW/NE/SE/Keys)
Trees continued
Persea humilis
Pinus clausa
silkbay
sand pine
moderate
moderate
SW, NE, SE
NW, SW, NE, SE
moderate - dry
dry
Pinus elliottii slash pine moderate NW, SW, NE, SE , Keys moist - moderate
Quercus geminata sand live oak moderate NW, SW, NE, SE moderate - dry
Quercus virginiana live oak moderate NW, SW, NE, SE, Keys moderate - dry
Sideroxylon foetidissimum mastic moderate SW, SE, Keys moderate
Palms
Acoelorrhaphe wrightii paurotis palm moderate SW, SE, Keys moist - moderate
Coccothrinax argentata silver palm high SE, Keys dry
Sabal palmetto cabbage palm high all moist - moderate
Serenoa repens saw palmetto high all moist - dry
Thrinax morrissii brittle thatch palm moderate Keys dry
Thrinax radiata Florida thatch palm moderate Keys dry
Fritz Wettstein
Coastal Construction Control Line Program
Division of Water Resource Management
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Road, Mail Station 3522
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
850/245-7672
www.floridadep.org/beaches
Reco
mmended Florida Beach and Dune Plants
Updated on May 2016 P
age 5
