Beach-creeper, Golden-creeper, Coughbush
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Ernodea littoralis
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Rubiaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Groundcover in dry, open areas, mostly along the coast. Wildflower and rock gardens. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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A relatively common element of coastal uplands along both coasts. Probably not present in pine rocklands in southern Miami-Dade County, where the critically imperiled E. cokeri occurs, except on Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park. |
Availability: |
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Native plant nurseries. Available in Boynton Beach at Sustaincape Florida (561-245-5305), in Lake Worth at Indian Trails Native Nursery (561-641-9488), in Boynton Beach at Native Choice Nursery (561-756-4370), and in Sanibel at the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (239-472-2329).
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Description: |
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Small sprawling shrub, woody at the base. Leaves clustered toward the ends of the stems, bright glossy yellowish-green, about 1-1 1/2 inches long. |
Height: |
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About 1-3 feet in height. Rooting from stems touching the ground and becoming much broader than tall. |
Growth Rate: |
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Moderate. |
Range: |
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Monroe County Keys north along the coasts to Volusia, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; West Indies, Mexico and Central America. Rare on the east coast north of Martin County. |
Habitats: |
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Coastal thickets throughout South Florida and pine rocklands on Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park and in the Florida Keys. |
Soils: |
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Moist to seasonally wet, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus. |
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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Secondary line; tolerates significant salt wind without injury, but usually is somewhat protected. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
Light Requirements: |
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Full sun. |
Flower Color: |
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Pinkish-white or white. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Semi-showy, about 1/2" long. |
Flowering Season: |
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All year. |
Fruit: |
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Round golden-yellow berry containing a single seed, in dense clusters. All year; peak winter-spring. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Provides food for birds. |
Horticultural Notes: |
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Primarily grown from cuttings under mist. |
Comments: |
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An excellent groundcover in open, dry sites along the coast. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page. |
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