General Landscape Uses:
Wildflower gardens. Moist coastal locations.
Ecological Restoration Notes: A relatively commmon element of coastal uplands.
Availability:
Widely cultivated. Available in Boynton Beach at
Sustainscape (561-245-5305).
Description: Medium herbaceous wildflower from a basal rosette. Leaves strap-like, leathery, up to 2 1/2 feet long.
Dimensions: Typically 2-3 feet in height, more when in flower. About as tall as broad.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north along the coasts to Volusia, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; Texas; West Indies.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: Coastal beaches and thickets; sometimes along the margins of mangrove swamps.
Soils: Moist, well-drained to occasionally inundated brackish sandy soils.
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance: Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Frontline; grows in direct salt wind but away from constant salt spray.
Drought Tolerance: Moderate to high; plants growing in extremely dry soils may die during extended periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color: White.
Flower Characteristics: Showy. Fragrant.
Flowering Season: Spring-fall.
Fruit: Green fleshy capsule. Maturing in fall.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and divisions.
References: Nelson 2003
Comments: Luber grasshoppers chew the leaves. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
