General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also an accent shrub.
Ecological Restoration Notes: A fairly common shrub in a wide variety of flatwoods ecosystems.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.
Description: Medium to large shrub with erect branches. Leaves thin, often with a hairy midrib, 1-2 inches long.
Dimensions: Typically 4-8 feet, sometimes taller. Sometimes as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties. In Miami-Dade County it has been reported as far south as the Little River area.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: Pinelands.
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy soils, with or without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Low to moderate; it can grow in nutrient poor soils or soils with some organic content.
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: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color: Bright white, often tinged with pink.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy, in long terminal racemes. Fragrant and sticky.
Flowering Season: Spring-fall.
Fruit: Rounded sticky capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides moderate amounts of food and significant cover for wildlife. Bees and flies are attracted to the flowers, and are often caught on the sticky flowers.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
References: Schaefer & Tanner 1997
Comments: This is a very ornamental shrub when in flower, and worthy of more attention by the native plant trade. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
