Giant whitetop
Rhynchospora latifolia
Cyperaceae


Landscape Uses:

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

Ecological Restoration Notes:

Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description:
Medium herbaceous wildflower.
Height:
About 2-3 feet in height. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate:
Moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States west to Texas and Oklahoma and south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties. Presumed locally extinct in the wild in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, where last collected in 1949 and 1961 respectively.
Habitats:
Marshes and wet pinelands.
Soils:
Wet to moist, moderately 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:
White bracts.
Flower Characteristics:
Showy.
Flowering Season:
Spring-summer.
Fruit:
Inconspicuous achene.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Horticultural Notes:
Can be grown from seed and divisions.
Comments:


Roger L. Hammer
Shirley Denton
Shirley Denton
Shirley Denton
Keith A. Bradley