Mock bishopsweed, Herbwilliam
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Ptilimnium capillaceum
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Apiaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wet wildflower and butterfly 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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Small to medium annual herb. |
Height: |
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About 6-18 inches in height. Usually taller than broad. |
Growth Rate: |
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Fast. |
Range: |
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Eastern and central United States west to Texas and south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties; West Indies. |
Habitats: |
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Swamps and wet disturbed sites. |
Soils: |
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Wet to moist, well-drained to poorly-drained sandy or organic soils, with humusy top layer. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. |
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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White. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Semi-showy. |
Flowering Season: |
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All year. |
Fruit: |
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A pair of inconspicuous carpels pendent from a supporting axis. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Larval host plant for black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) butterflies.
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Horticultural Notes: |
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Comments: |
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This self seeds and can be somewhat weedy. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page. See a 2019 post on the Treasure Coast Natives blog on dominant mudflat species including mock bishopsweed.
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