General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also good for wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Widely available in central Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida.
Description: Small shrub. Leaves needle-like, about 1/2-1 1/2 inches long, aromatic.
Dimensions: Typically 2-3 feet in height. As broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Endemic to eastern peninsular Florida from Volusia County south to northeastern Miami-Dade County; very rare or perhaps extirpated in Miami-Dade County. While it can grow very near the coast, it was very rare or never present on barrier islands in eastern Florida, perhaps due to a lack of habitat (well-drained scrub and scrubby flatwoods); however, it grows well at
Pan’s Garden in Palm Beach.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Scrub and scrubby flatwoods.
Soils: 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.
Flower Color: Bluish to pale purple, spotted.
Flower Characteristics: Showy, about 1/2" long. Fragrant.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Inconspicuous nutlet.
Wildlife and Ecology: Attracts native bees and other beneficial insects.
Comments: It is listed as threatened by the state of Florida.
