Landscape Uses:
	Accent coastal wildflower and bedding plant.
Ecological Restoration Notes:
	A relatively common element of coastal areas, especially the ecotones between mangrove swamps and coastal uplands.
Availability:
	Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central and South Florida.  Available in Boynton Beach at Sustainscape, in Sanibel at Captiva Conservation Foundation.
Description:
	Small to medium shrub with silvery-green leaves and attractive yellow flowers.
Height:
	Typically 2-3 feet in height; to 5 feet in South Florida. Colonial, and spreading much broader than tall.
Growth Rate:
	Moderate.
Range:
	Eastern and southeastern United States west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys; Bahamas, Cuba and southern Mexico.
Habitats:
	Coastal wetlands and beaches.
Soils:
	Wet to moist, well-drained to periodically inundated brackish soils.
Nutritional Requirements:
	Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance:
	Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
	High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury.
Drought Tolerance:
	Moderate to low; requires moist to wet soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements:
	Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color:
	Yellow.
Flower Characteristics:
	Showy compound heads, about 1" wide.
Flowering Season:
	All year; peak spring-summer.
Fruit:
	Inconspicuous achene.
Wildlife and Ecology:
	Provides moderate amounts of food and cover for wildlife. Nectar plant for great southern white (Ascia monuste), gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), large orange sulphur (Phoebis agarithe), southern broken-dash (Wallengrenia otho) and other butterflies.
Horticultural Notes:
	Grown from seed or cuttings. Break up seed heads into a pot with 2" or more of potting soil and sprinkle a little soil into the pot, almost covering the seeds. Place in light shade or full sun and keep moist.
Comments:
	In Florida, distinguished from B. arborescens by its silver foliage (in the Bahamas, B. arborescens is also silver). In Florida and Cuba, the two species form a rare natural hybrid, B. x cubana. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.