General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wet wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida.
Description: Medium to large herbaceous wildflower, becoming woody at the base.
Dimensions: Typically 2-6 feet in height. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Eastern and southern United States west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys (where very rare); Cuba, Europe.
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: Marshes and wet thickets.
Soils: Wet to moist, moderately well-drained to poorly drained soils, with or without humus.
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: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Pink.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Spring-fall.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology: Nectar source for butterflies.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
Comments: An attractive shrubby wildflower for wet spots in the garden. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
