Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower and butterfly gardens.

Availability: Widely available in central Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida.

Description: Medium herbaceous wildflower.

Dimensions: Basal rosette 1-3 inches in height; up to 3 feet when in flower.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Southeastern United States south to Broward County and the Monroe County mainland. Very rare in Broward County, only known from Military Trail Natural Area.

 Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

 Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.

Habitats: Moist to dry pinelands.

Soils: Moist, 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: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.

Light Requirements: Full sun.

Flower Color: Purplish.

Flower Characteristics: Showy.

Flowering Season: Summer-fall.

Fruit: Inconspicuous achene.

Wildlife and Ecology: Nectar plant for butterflies. Attracts native bees and other beneficial insects.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.

Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.