American bluehearts
Buchnera americana
Orobanchaceae


Landscape Uses:

Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gardens.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

Frequent but rarely abundant in a wide variety of ecosystems.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description:
Medium erect wildflower.
Height:
Typically 6-12 inches in height; up to 24 inches in flower. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate:
Fast.
Range:
Widespread in eastern North America west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America (Trinidad). Rare in the Florida Keys.
Habitats:
Pinelands, prairies and open, coastal areas.
Soils:
Moist to wet, well-drained to poorly-drained sandy or limestone soils.
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:
Moderate to high; plants growing in extremely dry soils may die during extended periods of drought.
Light Requirements:
Full sun.
Flower Color:
White or violet.
Flower Characteristics:
Semi-showy.
Flowering Season:
Spring-fall.
Fruit:
Inconspicuous spherical capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Larval host plant for common buckeye (Junonia coenia) butterflies.
Horticultural Notes:
Comments:
See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.


Roger L. Hammer
Shirley Denton
Shirley Denton
Shirley Denton
Keith A. Bradley
Keith A. Bradley