False dragonhead, Eastern false dragonhead
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Physostegia purpurea
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Lamiaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also moist to wet wildflower gardens. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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Availability: |
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Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries. |
Description: |
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Medium herbaceous wildflower. |
Height: |
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About 2-3 feet in height. Taller than broad. |
Growth Rate: |
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Moderate. |
Range: |
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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: |
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Marshes, swamps and pinelands. |
Soils: |
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Moist, well-drained sandy 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 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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Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought. |
Light Requirements: |
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Full sun. |
Flower Color: |
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Lavender. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Semi-showy. |
Flowering Season: |
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Spring-summer. |
Fruit: |
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Inconspicuous nutlet. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Provides food for birds. |
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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