General Landscape Uses:
Wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.
Description: Small short-lived perennial herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: Typically 4-12 inches in height. As broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Southeastern United States west to Texas and south to Broward and Collier counties; Greater Antilles. Very rare in Broward County and known only from the Pembroke Lakes Mall area. Not documented on barrier islands in 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: Swamps and moist forests.
Soils: Wet to moist, moderately well-drained to poorly-drained sandy or organic soils.
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: Light shade.
Flower Color: Pink.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Spring-summer.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seeds and cuttings.
