General Landscape Uses:
Low massing shrub. Wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Woody groundcover or small shrub with short erect stems. Leaves 4 inches long, leathery, dark green.
Dimensions: About 1-5 feet in height. Spreading from underground stems and forming large open or dense patches.
Growth Rate: Very slow.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to the Monroe County Keys. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Pinelands and coastal thickets.
Soils: Moist to dry, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color: Creamy white.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy in terminal clusters.
Flowering Season: All year; peak spring-summer.
Fruit: Elliptical drupe. Edible.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides significant food and some cover for wildlife. The flowers attract bees and butterflies. The fruits are highly attractive to wildlife.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
