General Landscape Uses:
Small shrubby wildflower.
Availability:
Rarely grown by native plant nurseries.
Description: Small, aromatic, woody shrub up to 2 feet tall with leaves 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Leaves smell of basil when crushed. Abundant pink to lavender flowers.
Dimensions: Up to 2 feet in height.
Range:
Very rare in peninsular Florida from Glades County to Volusia and Marion counties; disjunt in central Georgia.
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.
Habitats: Scrub, sandhills
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Lavender
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Spring.
Fruit: Four nutlets
Horticultural Notes: This plant is allelopathic.
References: Hall (
2020), Hammer (
2016)
Comments: We have been adding data for this species for central and northern Florida and welcome any feedback or review. If you would like to contribute information or images, please contact George Gann via the IRC staff page. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
