General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also an accent shrub.
Availability:
Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in Florida.
Description: Small shrub. Leaves small, shiny.
Dimensions: About 1-2 feet tall. Spreading from underground stems (rhizomes) and forming clumps as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Eastern North America west to Louisiana and south to Palm Beach and Collier counties; very rare south of Martin and Lee counties.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Pinelands and scrubby flatwoods.
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.
Flower Color: White to pinkish.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.
Flowering Season: Spring.
Fruit: Shiny black drupe.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
