General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wet wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Available at native plant nurseries in northeast and central Florida.
Description: Medium to large herbaceous wildflower, becoming woody at the base.
Dimensions: Typically 2-6 feet in height. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Eastern and southern United States west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys (where very rare); Cuba, Europe.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Marshes and wet thickets.
Soils: Wet to moist, moderately well-drained to poorly drained soils, with or without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance: Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Pink.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Spring-fall.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology: Nectar source for butterflies.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
Comments: An attractive shrubby wildflower for wet spots in the garden. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
