General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also accent epiphtye.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Epiphytic herb.
Dimensions: 4-6 inches in height; up to 10 inches in flower. Usually taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Brevard, Osceola and Charlotte counties, but very rare north of Lake Okeechobee ; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and northern South America.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Moist forests and swamps.
Soils: Epiphytic; grows on the trunks and branches of trees and shrubs.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows on nutrient poor substrate.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Light shade.
Flower Color: Tubular, lavender flowers emerge from pink bracts.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy inflorescence, about 3" long.
Flowering Season: Spring-summer.
Fruit: Green to brown capsule with hairy, wind dispersed seeds.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and division.
