Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.

Ecological Restoration Notes: A somewhat rare understory element of strand swamps and other wetlands.

Availability: Grown by enthusiasts.

Description: Large herbaceous wildflower.

Dimensions: Typically 3-6 feet in height. About as broad as tall.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Widespread in North America south to Broward and Collier counties. Very rare in Broward County; known only from Water Conservation Area 3A and Tree Tops Park.

 Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

Habitats: Swamps and marshes.

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: White.

Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy inflorescence.

Flowering Season: Summer-fall.

Fruit: Pair of inconspicuous carpels pendent from a supporting axis.

Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) butterflies.

Comments: DANGER! This plant is extremely poisonous to humans and pets if ingested. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.