Yellow colicroot
Aletris lutea
Nartheciaceae


Landscape Uses:

Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also moist to wet wildflower gardens.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.
Description:
Small to medium wildflower.
Height:
Basal rosette about 3-6 inches in height; to 3 feet when in flower. About as wide as tall except when in flower.
Growth Rate:
Moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland. Not documented but presumed extirpated in Broward County. Also very rare in the northwestern peninsula and eastern Panhandle.
Habitats:
Moist pinelands and prairies.
Soils:
Moist to wet, seasonally inundated calcareous or sandy soils, without humusy top layer.
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:
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance:
Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements:
Full sun.
Flower Color:
Dull yellow.
Flower Characteristics:
Semi-showy.
Flowering Season:
Spring-summer.
Fruit:
Inconspicuous capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Horticultural Notes:
Can be grown from seed.
Comments:
See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.


Roger L. Hammer
Shirley Denton
Shirley Denton
Shirley Denton
Shirley Denton