| 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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