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

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.

Ecological Restoration Notes: A somewhat rare understory element of strand swamps and other wetlands.

Availability: Grown by enthusiasts.

Description: Large herbaceous wildflower.

Dimensions: Typically 3-6 feet in height. About as broad as tall.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Widespread in North America south to Broward and Collier counties. Very rare in Broward County; known only from Water Conservation Area 3A and Tree Tops Park.

 Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

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

Habitats: Swamps and marshes.

Soils: Wet, poorly-drained organic soils.

Nutritional Requirements: High; requires rich organic soils for optimal growth.

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: White.

Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy inflorescence.

Flowering Season: Summer-fall.

Fruit: Pair of inconspicuous carpels pendent from a supporting axis.

Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) butterflies.

Comments: DANGER! This plant is extremely poisonous to humans and pets if ingested. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.