Florida hammock milkpea
Galactia striata
Fabaceae


Landscape Uses:

Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

Availability:
Description:
Twining, low climbing vine.
Height:
N/A; a vine with stems to 8 feet or more in length.
Growth Rate:
Moderate.
Range:
Monroe and Miami-Dade counties north along the west coast to Manatee County; West Indies, Central America and South America.
Habitats:
Hammocks and thickets, mostly along the coasts.
Soils:
Moist, well-drained limestone or calcareous sandy soils, with humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements:
Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance:
Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements:
Light shade to full sun.
Flower Color:
Bright pink with thin white lines fading to bluish-pink.
Flower Characteristics:
Semi-showy.
Flowering Season:
All year.
Fruit:
Small brown pod (legume).
Wildlife and Ecology:
Larval host plant for cassius blue (Leptotes cassius), long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus), zestos skipper (Epargyreus zestos) and zarucco duskywing (Erynnis zarucco) butterflies. Nectar plant for hammock skipper (Polygonus leo) and other butterflies.
Horticultural Notes:
Can be grown from seed.
Comments:


James Johnson, 2014
In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
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James Johnson, 2014
In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida