|                    Beach-creeper, Golden-creeper, Coughbush
                      |  
              
                |                    Ernodea littoralis  
                      |  
              
                |                    Rubiaceae 
                      |  
  
              
                 Landscape Uses:
  | 
               
              
                 | 
                 Groundcover in dry, open areas, mostly along the coast.  Wildflower and rock gardens. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
                 | 
                 A relatively common element of coastal uplands along both coasts.  Probably not present in pine rocklands in southern Miami-Dade County, where the critically imperiled E. cokeri occurs, except on Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park. | 
               
              
                | Availability: | 
               
              
                 | 
                 Widely available in South Florida. Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. Available in Boynton Beach at Sustainscape (561-245-5305), and in Lake Worth at Indian Trails Native Nursery. | 
               
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Small sprawling shrub, woody at the base.  Leaves clustered toward the ends of the stems, bright glossy yellowish-green, about 1-1 1/2 inches long. | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 About 1-3 feet in height.  Rooting from stems touching the ground and becoming much broader than tall. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Moderate. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Monroe County Keys north along the coasts to Volusia, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; West Indies, Mexico and Central America. Rare on the east coast north of Martin County. | 
               
              
                | Habitats: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Coastal thickets throughout South Florida and pine rocklands on Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park and in the Florida Keys. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Moist to seasonally wet, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Secondary line; tolerates significant salt wind without injury, but usually is somewhat protected. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 High; does not require any supplemental water once established. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Full sun. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Pinkish-white or white. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Semi-showy, about 1/2" long. | 
               
              
                | Flowering Season: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 All year. | 
               
              
                | Fruit: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Round golden-yellow berry containing a single seed, in dense clusters.  All year; peak winter-spring. | 
               
              
                | Wildlife and Ecology: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Provides food for birds. | 
               
                     
                | Horticultural Notes: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Primarily grown from cuttings under mist. | 
               
              
                | Comments: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 An excellent groundcover in open, dry sites along the coast. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's  Flower Friday page. | 
               
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