General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also accent epiphtye.
Ecological Restoration Notes: A relatively common epiphyte in hammocks and swamps.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Epiphytic herb.
Dimensions: 6-12 inches in height. Usually taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Volusia, Lake and Hernando counties; disjunct in southeastern Georgia; West Indies, Mexico and Central America. In the Monroe County Keys, known only from North Key Largo and nearby islands.
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 flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance: Low; requires moist substrate and high humidity and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Light shade.
Flower Color: Lavender.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy inflorescence.
Flowering Season: Summer.
Fruit: Green to brown capsule with hairy, wind dispersed seeds.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and division.
