Landscape Uses:
	Water gardens and along pond and lake edges.
Ecological Restoration Notes:
Availability:
	Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in South Florida.
Description:
	Large herb.
Height:
	Typically 3-6 feet in height. Spreads and forms large patches.
Growth Rate:
	Fast.
Range:
	Southeastern United States south to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland; West Indies, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Not documented on barrier islands in South Florida, but possibly historically present; it grows well at Pan’s Garden in Palm Beach.
Habitats:
	Swamps, marshes and wet disturbed sites.
Soils:
	Wet, poorly-drained organic soils.
Nutritional Requirements:
	High; requires rich organic soils for optimal growth.
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:
	Purple.
Flower Characteristics:
	Inconspicuous.
Flowering Season:
	Spring-fall.
Fruit:
	Urticle.
Wildlife and Ecology:
	Larval host plant for Brazilian skipper (Calpodes ethlius) butterflies.
Horticultural Notes:
	Can be grown from seed and division.
Comments:
	See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.