General Landscape Uses:
Water gardens and along pond and lake edges.
Availability:
Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida.
Description: Medium herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: About 1-2 feet in height. Usually spreading and forming patches broader than tall.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Eastern and central North America west to Texas and south to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland. 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: Marshes and swamps.
Soils: Wet, poorly-drained organic soils.
Nutritional Requirements: High; requires rich organic soils for optimal growth.
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: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Light shade to moderate shade or full sun.
Flower Color: White.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Spring-summer.
Fruit: Inconspicuous indehiscent carpels.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides food for birds.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
