General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Small erect herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: About 6-12 inches in height. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Pinelands and open disturbed sites.
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: Secondary line; tolerates significant salt wind without injury, but usually is somewhat protected.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Dark purple to purplish-pink or rarely white with a yellow tip on the upper petal.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy racemes.
Flowering Season: All year; peak spring-summer.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and division.
Comments: The leaves and flowers of this species are extremely variable; use appropriate sources. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
