This plant occurs in slash pine woods on wet, sandy substrates among other plant species, including saw palmetto, fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), shiny blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites), dwarf live oak (Quercus minima), and wiregrass (Aristida stricta).
Quercus robur | Quercus ilex | Quercus petraea | Quercus alba | Quercus cerris | Quercus virginiana | Quercus rubra | Quercus garryana | Quercus acutissima | Quercus palustris | Quercus minima | Quercus fusiformis | Quercus castaneifolia | Quercus agrifolia | sand live oak (''Quercus geminata'') | Quercus × warei | ''Quercus'' × ''warei'' | Quercus suber | ''Quercus robur'' | Quercus peninsularis | Quercus lusitanica | Quercus lobata | Quercus laceyi | Quercus ilicifolia | Quercus hemisphaerica | Quercus havardii | Quercus glauca | Quercus frainetto | Quercus engelmannii | Quercus copeyensis |
In addition to saw palmetto, the shrubs Appalachian tea (Ilex glabra), coastal plain staggerbush (Lyonia fruticosa), dwarf live oak (Quercus minima), shiny blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites), and rosy camphorweed (Pluchea rosea) can be found in the flatwoods.