Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gardens.

Ecological Restoration Notes: A somewhat rare understory herb in pine rocklands.

Availability: Rarely grown by native plant nurseries.

Description: Small to medium herb with erect or sprawling stems and oblong leaves.

Dimensions: About 6-24 inches in height. Taller than broad, but then falling over and spreading.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Eastern and central United States west to Texas and south to central Florida; disjunct in Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County Keys. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key, where very rare.

 Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

Habitats: Pine rocklands.

Soils: Moist, well-drained limestone soils, without humus.

Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.

Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate 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: Green with purple hoods.

Flower Characteristics: Showy, about 1/2" wide.

Flowering Season: Winter-summer; peak spring.

Fruit: Pod (follicle) with wind dispersed seeds, wide at the base and tapering toward the tip.

Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for monarch (Danaus plexippus) and queen (Danaus gilippus) butterflies; possible larval host for soldier (Danaus eresimus) butterflies. Nectar plant for monarch butterflies. Attracts native bees and other beneficial insects.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.

References: Hammer 2004

Comments: The plant is poisonous to livestock. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page and Monarchs & Milkweed flyer.