General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida.
Description: Medium herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: About 2-3 feet in height. Usually taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties. Extirpated in the Florida Keys, and extirpated or never present in Palm Beach and Broward counties. Not documented on barrier islands in South Florida, but possibly historically present; 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: Pinelands.
Soils: Moist, 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 or purplish-white.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Spring-summer.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology: Attracts native bees and other beneficial insects. Valuable source of insects for birds.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
