General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also an accent shrub.
Availability:
Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida.
Description: Small compact densely-branched shrub with numerous underground branches. Leaves small, thick and shiny green, about 1/4 to 3/4 inches long.
Dimensions: Typically, 1-2 feet in height. Spreading from underground stems and forming masses broader than tall.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Pinelands.
Soils: Moist to dry, well-drained sandy soils, without humus, acid pH.
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: 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: Full sun.
Flower Color: White to pink.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.
Flowering Season: Spring.
Fruit: Black berry. Edible.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides food and cover for wildlife. Attracts bee pollinators. Birds and other animals eat the fruits.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from de-pulped seed.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
