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

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

Ecological Restoration Notes: Most common in pinelands; rarer along the coast.

Availability: Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida.

Description: Medium short-lived perennial herb.

Dimensions: Typically 12-18 inches in height. Usually taller than broad.

Growth Rate: Fast.

Range: Widespread in the eastern and central United States south to the Monroe County Keys. Very rare in the Monroe County Keys, and perhaps limited to Bahia Honda.

 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, coastal uplands and open, 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: 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: White.

Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous.

Flowering Season: All year.

Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.

Wildlife and Ecology: Nectar plant for butterflies, including Florida duskywing (Ephyriades brunneus.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.

Comments: Almost identical to C. glandulosus var. floridanus, but fruits are covered densely with hairs.