General Landscape Uses:
Accent epiphyte; on live oaks along forest edges.
Ecological Restoration Notes: A relatively common epiphyte in hammocks and swamps.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Epiphytic herb; or terrestrial growing in leaf litter.
Dimensions: 12-30 inches in height; 6 feet or more in flower.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Flagler, Putnam, Lake and Citrus counties; 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; or terrestrial in moist, well-drained humusy leaf litter, acid to neutral pH.
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: Greenish-yellow.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy inflorescence.
Flowering Season: Summer-fall.
Fruit: Green to brown capsule with hairy, wind dispersed seeds.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed. This is a monocarpic species, which dies after flowering.
Comments: It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida.
