General Landscape Uses:
Wildflower and rock gardens.
Availability:
Native plant nurseries. Available in Lake Worth at
Amelia's SmartyPlants (561-540-6296).
Description: Medium annual or short-lived perennial herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: About 12-18 inches in height. Usually about as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast.
Range:
Eastern and central North America west to Texas and south to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland; Bahamas.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Pinelands and open coastal uplands.
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Blue.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.
Flowering Season: All year; peak summer-fall.
Fruit: Inconspicuous nutlet.
Wildlife and Ecology: Attracts many pollinators, but especially bees.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
