American bluehearts
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Buchnera americana
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Orobanchaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gardens. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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Frequent but rarely abundant in a wide variety of ecosystems. |
Availability: |
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Grown by enthusiasts. |
Description: |
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Medium erect wildflower. |
Height: |
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Typically 6-12 inches in height; up to 24 inches in flower. Taller than broad. |
Growth Rate: |
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Fast. |
Range: |
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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: |
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Pinelands, prairies and open, coastal areas. |
Soils: |
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Moist to wet, well-drained to poorly-drained sandy or limestone soils. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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Moderate to high; plants growing in extremely dry soils may die during extended periods of drought. |
Light Requirements: |
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Full sun. |
Flower Color: |
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White or violet. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Semi-showy. |
Flowering Season: |
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Spring-fall. |
Fruit: |
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Inconspicuous spherical capsule. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Larval host plant for common buckeye (Junonia coenia) butterflies. |
Horticultural Notes: |
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Comments: |
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See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page. |
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