General Landscape Uses:
An accent shrub along pond and lake edges.
Ecological Restoration Notes: A rather infrequent element in marshes and the edges of freshwater swamps.
Availability:
Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central Florida.
Description: Medium erect shrub.
Dimensions: Typically 6-8 feet in height. Usually taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States west to Texas and south to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Swamps, wet thickets and marshes.
Soils: Wet, moderately well-drained to 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: Light purple or pink with a dark purple or reddish-purple center.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Spring-summer.
Fruit: Inconspicuous dry capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology: Flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds, orioles and other birds.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
