Yellow Buttons (Balduina angustifolia)

Yellow buttons, in the aster family, occurs in dry habitats throughout Florida, and is often common in scrub. It reaches about 3' in height. Yellow buttons is one of very few annuals in scrub. Most scrub plants are perennial, with enlarged roots or other underground structures enabling them to sprout back after being burned to the ground in lightning-caused fires. Those that don't resprout maintain a "bank" of seeds in the soil (or on the tree in the case of sand pine). A few weeks after a fire the scrub sometimes erupts with yellow buttons when thousands of seeds germinate at once. A stand of yellow buttons in bloom can stun with its brilliant beauty.

Florida Rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides)

Not related to the culinary rosemary from the Mediterranean region, the poorly-named Florida rosemary is a characteristic scrub plant with many specialized adaptations to the harsh scrub environment. The needle-like leaves conserve water by reducing evaporation. The rounded dome-like shape, typical of many scrub plants, protects from wind and blowing sand damage. Rosemary plants release a chemical into the soil that prevents the germination of their own seeds. The seeds remain in the soil and do not germinate until after the parent plant dies, thus insuring a sunny spot for the new plant. Like many scrub plants, rosemary is aromatic, the result of volatile oils in the foliage that probably serve to protect the plant from being eaten.

Some Florida scrubs are so droughty with deep, loose sands that Florida rosemary is the only shrub that can survive. These "Rosemary balds" are among the most beautiful, and harshest, natural landscapes in Florida.

Lichens (Cladina spp.) and (Cladonia spp.)

There are a half dozen species of ground lichens, or "reindeer moss" that sometimes carpet the sand in Florida scrubs. A lichen is not a single plant, but actually a combination of a fungus and an alga. Neither the fungus nor the alga can live alone, and the relationship is a type of symbiosis called obligate mutualism. Lichens are extremely slow-growing and very susceptible to air pollution. You won't find them in cities. Looking like puffy ground-clouds, top left, the gray lichens are Cladina evansii and the yellowish ones are C. subtenuis. Lichens have no roots, obtaining moisture instead from the evening air and the dew. They are brittle and crunchy underfoot when dry, but soft as cotton balls when moist. Ground lichens are killed by fire and slow to repopulate. The longer a scrub has been without fire, the larger and more numerous are the lichens.

These lichens, right, are Cladonia leporina, often called match-sticks or British soldiers. A similar species, not shown, is on the federal Endangered Species list.

The silvery lichens are silvery only when dry. As soon as Cladonia prostrata is wetted, the thalli (leaf-like structures) roll downward exposing a green surface, left. They do this in seconds, right before your eyes. Try it yourself.

Scrub Dayflower (Commelina erecta)

Scrub dayflower is a perennial in the spiderwort family that occurs in dry, sandy habitats throughout Florida and the southeast. It is often common in Florida scrub. Scrub dayflower tends to clamber up and through stronger shrubs, and that way may reach 3-4' in height though it could never support itself. The dainty flowers (about 2" across) have three petals: two blue, and a tiny white one at the bottom. The flowers appear throughout the year, usually withering before midmorning in the scrub's intense heat. Gopher tortoises relish the foliage, bees and wasps visit the flowers, and songbirds eat the seeds.

Scrub St. John's Wort (Hypericum reductum)

There are over 20 species of St. John's worts native to Florida. Most are perennials, some are annuals, and some are 10' tall and almost tree-like. This one is a woody shrub, 1' tall, with a 2-4' spread, and with needle-like leaves. It occurs in scrubs and dry flatwoods throughout central Florida. Like many scrub plants, and unlike most St. John's worts, scrub St. John's wort is dome-shaped and has aromatic foliage. Whether this species shares the antidepressant properties of the European species, H. perforatum, is not known. (However most people are cheered up when they see it in full bloom, covered with hundreds of yellow flowers!) This beautiful shrub deserves a place in the home landscape. It needs full sun, light sandy soil, and once established, no supplemental watering. Scrub St. john's wort is available from several nurseries in Florida.

Scrub Holly (Ilex cumulicola)

Scrub holly is sometimes considered a variety (var. arenicola) of the wide-ranging American holly (I. opaca). It differs from American holly in its smaller stature and smaller, narrower leaves that are yellowish, strongly curled, and held upright. Scrub holly is restricted to scrubs from Marion County to Highlands County.

Following fire, scrub holly resprouts like other scrub shrubs, but sometimes it may survive above ground and start growing again from the top, resulting in a holly that stands above the scrub's oaks and crookedwood which resprouted from their roots. Scrub holly makes an excellent landscaping shrub that requires no supplemental watering. It is available from several nurseries in Florida.

Crookedwood (Lyonia ferruginea)

This member of the heath family (which includes blueberries and azaleas) is also known as rusty lyonia. It occurs throughout Florida in sandy habitats, both dry and wet. Either crookedwood, the closely-related staggerbush (L. fruticosa), or both, are almost always present in Florida scrub. Some scrubs are dominated by crookedwood. This is one of the few scrub plants that persists in the shade of a sand pine forest. Crookedwood is common in the mature sand pine forests of the Ocala National Forest. The specimens shown here have been protected from fire for several decades, and are twice as tall (about 15') as normal. Crookedwood is sometimes harvested for its twisted trunks and stems which are used in decorative arrangements and displays. How ironic that these real shrubs are cut down and stripped of their leaves to make artificial shrubs with plastic leaves for indoor malls! (Fortunately, decapitated crookedwoods usually sprout back from their roots just as if they had burned to the ground.)

Indian Pipes (Monotropa uniflora)

This curious plant has no chlorophyll and therefore is incapable of photosynthesis. It is, in fact, a saprophyte, obtaining its nourishment from decaying plant material in the soil. Only the fleshy, ghost-like, flowers appear above ground, nodding on 6-8" stems. Would you have guessed that Indian pipes is in the heath family (Ericaceae), the same family as azaleas and blueberries? Indian pipes is actually widespread in eastern North America, usually in dry woods and scrub. Look for its strange flowers amongst the fallen leaves in October and November.

Prickly-pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa)

This hardy cactus is widespread in eastern North American and is especially common in scrub. Florida scrub is an inhospitable habitat to walk through, and prickly-pear is one of the reasons. The pads, armed with barbed spines, seem capable of leaping a foot or more to imbed themselves in human flesh. Prickly-pear will often attach a pad surreptitiously to the back of a person's boot heel, then when the person crouches down to see something on the ground, the pad imbeds its spines into the soft flesh of the person's bottom side. There's more than evil to this behavior, though. As anyone who's propagated cactus knows, the pads are capable of rooting where they fall and we and other animals help spread prickly-pear whenever we detach a bothersome pad and throw it on the ground. Perhaps we can take some satisfaction in knowing that the pads and the fruit of prickly-pear are edible, and actually quite tasty.

See Floridata's profile of Prickly-pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa)

Scrub Olive (Osmanthus megacarpa)

Scrub olive occurs in scrubs, sand pine forests and dry hammocks throughout central Florida. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree up to 12' high with shiny green, 3-5" opposite leaves. The flowers are inconspicuous but pleasantly fragrant, like the related tea olive (O. fragrans). The fruits are much larger (over an inch in diameter) than the widespread wild olive or devilwood (O. americana) of the southeastern United States. (It is typical for scrub plants to have larger, but fewer, fruits than their non-scrub relatives.) Our olives are in the same family (Oleaceae) as the true olive (Olea europaea) of the Mediterranean region, but for some reason ours haven't been cultivated for food. You can grow your own scrub olives with plants from several native nurseries in central Florida. Put them in full sun in light, sandy soil. Once established, you won't need to water them.

Silk Bay (Persea humilis)

Silk bay (also called scrub bay) occurs in scrubs throughout peninsular Florida. It is a very handsome shrub or small tree, reaching about 10' tall. The leaves of silk bay are shiny green on top and adorned beneath with a dense carpet of silky rusty-red hairs, an adaptation to reduce water loss by maintaining high humidity at the leaf surface. When crushed, the leaves smell like the culinary bay leaf (Laurus nobilis), which is in the same family (Lauraceae). A tiny scale insect often attacks older leaves of silk bay (and other species in the genus) causing them to deform and develop small galls which some people consider unsightly. It doesn't hurt the plant, though. A newly leafed-out silk bay, shimmering in the breeze with its rusty-red and shiny green leaves, is one of the most attractive shrubs you can find for no maintenance xeriscaping in zones 8-10. Silk bay is available from several native plant nurseries in central Florida.

Sand Pine (Pinus clausa)

The only real tree in Florida scrub, sand pine is uniquely adapted to live in a plant community that depends on periodic fire for its continued existence. The cones of sand pine remain on the tree and do not open until the tree actually burns to death. Only the heat of a killing fire can melt the wax that seals the cones, thus allowing the release of seeds to start a new generation. This way, seeds are not wasted as they would be if they fell in the shade of the parent tree. And, the species is able to repopulate the site quickly after a devastating fire. (In recent decades modern man has reduced the frequency of and even eliminated fire in many Florida scrubs. This has allowed the occasional sand pine "sport" that already happened to have cones that open without fire to reproduce successfully. In effect, man has selected for sand pines that release their seeds without fire, and today you can see trees with open cones in many scrubs.) Sometimes, if conditions are just right, sand pine seedlings survive in tremendous numbers and the species comes to dominate the site, creating a sand pine forest and shading out the scrub perennials and shrubs. But if it doesn't rain when the tiny sand pine seedlings are getting started, most will die and the survivors will be scattered in a true scrub with other scrub plants.

See also Floridata's profile of the sand pine (Pinus clausa)

Goldenaster (Pityopsis graminifolia)

Goldenaster (also called silk grass, and formerly placed in the genus Heterotheca) occurs in dry habitats throughout the southeastern US. It is encountered commonly in Florida scrub. Goldenaster is a herbaceous perennial reaching about 2' high. The leaves look like silvery grass blades and both the stem and leaves are covered with silky hairs. The numerous flowers, appearing in summer and autumn, are about an inch across. Goldenaster makes an excellent addition to perennial borders and natural areas. Once established it is maintenance-free. It needs light, sandy soil and full sun. Several nurseries in Florida offer this pretty little aster.

Sandhill Wireweed (Polygonella robusta)

Sandhill wireweed is a small (to 3' tall with a 4' spread) woody shrub that some authorities consider to be a variety of the herbaceous (non-woody) annual, fringed polygonella (P. fimbriata). Sandhill wireweed occurs in dry habitats in central Florida. It is common in sandhills, turkey oak barrens and in scrub. The leaves are linear and 1-2" long. The individuals flowers of sandhill wireweed are tiny, but the pink clusters, in 2-3" spikes (called racemes), are very showy. Sandhill wireweed blooms throughout summer and fall. This is another beautiful scrub shrub that ought to get more attention from gardeners.

Oaks of the Florida Scrub (Quercus spp.)

Florida scrubs typically are dominated by one or more of four oak species. These oaks are not trees, but shrubs, rarely exceeding 8' in height. Structurally, the scrub oaks look similar, but can be identified by their leaves. Sand live oak (Quercus geminata), left, has oblong, evergreen leaves, about 2-3" long, with curled-under edges and pubescence (hairiness) beneath.

Myrtle oak (Q. myrtifolia), right, has shiny, rounded evergreen leaves, about 2" long, that are glabrous (without hairs) beneath. (Use the tip of your tongue to feel for pubescence on leaves.)

Chapman's oak (Q. chapmanii), left, has larger, deciduous leaves with various irregular shapes and irregular pubescence. These three oaks are found in nearly all Florida scrubs.

A fourth species, inopina oak (Q. inopina), right, occurs in scrubs in central Florida only, and usually replaces myrtle oak. The leaves of inopina oak are curled and directed upward.

Periodically these bushy oaks are burned to the ground only to resprout from underground root systems that may actually be more massive than the above ground parts. The longer a scrub goes without burning, the larger the scrub oaks become, and if a scrub is prevented from burning for more that 40-70 years they (especially sand live oak) will become small trees. The acorns of the scrub oaks supply food for scrub jays and many other animals. The scrub oaks are the "backbone" of the Florida scrub.

Scrub Palm (Sabal etonia)

Scrub palm (sometimes called scrub palmetto) occurs only in scrubs in central Florida. Scrub palm is in the same genus as the majestic sabal or cabbage palm, Florida's state tree. But unlike the sabal palm, scrub palm is a low-growing shrub whose trunk remains below ground, safe from scrub's recurrent fires. Scrub palm looks a lot like saw palmetto, the other common palm in Florida scrub, but can be distinguished by the leaves, which are costapalmate as opposed to palmate. That is, in scrub palm the petiole (leaf stem) continues a short distance into the frond as a midrib. In saw palmetto, which has true palmate leaves, the petiole terminates at the base of the frond. Several kinds of lizards and snakes find refuge in the sand under the dead, brown leaves of scrub palm and saw palmetto.

Read more in Floridata's scrub palm (Sabal etonia) profile.

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)

Saw palmetto is a common feature in many southeastern US habitats, and is always present in Florida scrub. The palmetto clump pictured here is the silver form from a scrub on Florida's Atlantic coast. Saw palmetto is a creeping palm with a trunk that lies on or just below the ground surface. Within just 3 days following a fire, palmetto begins to sprout back from its unburned growing tip. Saw palmetto looks a lot like scrub palm, the other low-growing palm in Florida scrubs. See the scrub palm profile to distinguish the two. Saw palmetto berries are an important food for many wildlife species including bears, raccoons, possums, and various insects. The berries also have found a medicinal use for humans in the treatment and prevention of enlarged prostate gland. Within the last couple of years, the unregulated harvest of wild saw palmetto berries has, in some areas, degenerated into a free-for-all, with turf battles and claim-staking reminiscent of the Alaska gold rush.

Read more in Floridata's Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) profile.

Adam's Needle (Yucca filamentosa)

Adam's needle, also called weak-leaf yucca or beargrass, is a common plant in dry habitats throughout the southeastern US. The strap-like leaves, originating from a basal rosette, are edged with long curly threads, hence the specific epithet. The showy flowers are carried on an erect central spike, up to 12' tall. The plant dies after flowering and fruiting, but produces new plants around the edges of the original. This handsome agave makes a fine landscaping plant and is available at many nurseries.

Read more in Floridata's Adam's Needle (Yucca filamentosa) profile.