False dragonhead, Eastern false dragonhead
Physostegia purpurea
Lamiaceae


Landscape Uses:

Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also moist to wet wildflower gardens.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.
Description:
Medium herbaceous wildflower.
Height:
About 2-3 feet in height. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate:
Moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to peninsular Florida, then south along the southwest coast to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County Keys. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key, where last collected in 1973.
Habitats:
Marshes, swamps and pinelands.
Soils:
Moist, well-drained sandy soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements:
Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance:
Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements:
Full sun.
Flower Color:
Lavender.
Flower Characteristics:
Semi-showy.
Flowering Season:
Spring-summer.
Fruit:
Inconspicuous nutlet.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Provides food for birds.
Horticultural Notes:
Comments:
See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.


Shirley Denton
Shirley Denton