General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gardens.
Ecological Restoration Notes: Most common in open areas along the coast; rare inland.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.
Description: Medium short-lived perennial herb.
Dimensions: Typically 12-18 inches in height. Usually taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Endemic to peninsular Florida from Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland north mostly along the coasts to Martin and Pinellas counties; also historically collected in the interior in Highlands and Polk counties, but perhaps extirpated there.
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: Coastal uplands and disturbed sites.
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone 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: Secondary line; tolerates significant salt wind without injury, but usually is somewhat protected.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: White.
Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology: Nectar plant for butterflies.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
Comments: Almost identical to C. glandulosus var. glandulosus, but it lacks the numerous hairs on the fruits.
