Blodgett’s swallowwort
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Metastelma blodgettii
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Apocynaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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It can be used as one of many understory herbs in pine rocklands. |
Availability: |
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Grown by enthusiasts. |
Description: |
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A creeping or short climbing vine with small leaves. |
Height: |
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N/A; a vine with stems to 3 feet or more in length. |
Growth Rate: |
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Moderate to fast. |
Range: |
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Monroe County Keys and Miami-Dade County; Bahamas. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key. In Miami-Dade County, native to the Miami Rock Ridge south of the Miami River. |
Habitats: |
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Pine rocklands. |
Soils: |
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Moist, well-drained 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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Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. |
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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White. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Semi-showy. |
Flowering Season: |
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Spring-fall. |
Fruit: |
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Slender pod with wind dispersed seeds. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Possible larval host plant for soldier (Danaus eresimus) butterflies. |
Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from seed or cuttings. |
Comments: |
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The sap is white. It is listed as threatened by the state of Florida. |
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