Landscape Uses:
	Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gardens.
Ecological Restoration Notes:
	A relatively common groundcover in mesic flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods and scrub.
Availability:
	Available at native plant nurseries in central Florida.
Description:
	Small to medium woody groundcover. Leaves pale green above, 1 1/2-3 1/2 inches long. Short deciduous, the new leaves emerging in mid to late winter (February-March).
Height:
	Typically 1-3 feet in height, occasionally taller. Usually taller than broad.
Growth Rate:
	Slow.
Range:
	Georgia south to northeastern Miami-Dade and Collier counties.
Habitats:
	Pinelands and scrub.
Soils:
	Moist to dry, well-drained sandy soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements:
	Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance:
	Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
	Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance:
	High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements:
	Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color:
	Outside creamy white with a reddish-purple base; inside creamy white with a broad band of dark purple across the widest part.
Flower Characteristics:
	Showy, 2-3" wide; very fragrant with a strong spicy odor.
Flowering Season:
	Winter-spring, appearing with new leaves.
Fruit:
	Yellowish-green berry.
Wildlife and Ecology:
	Provides significant food and moderate amounts of cover for wildlife. Larval host plant for zebra swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) butterflies.
Horticultural Notes:
Comments:
	See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.