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

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

Ecological Restoration Notes: An occasional groundcover in mesic flatwoods.

Availability: Grown by a few native plant nurseries in South and Central Florida. Available in Lake Worth at Amelia's SmartyPlants (561-540-6296) and in Boynton Beach at Sustainscape (561-245-5305).

Description: Small erect to sprawling wildflower with small fine-textured leaves.

Dimensions: Typically 4-8 inches in height, broader than tall.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Southeastern United States south to Indian River, Highlands and Collier counties. Records of this from southeastern Florida all appear to be Dyschoriste angusta.

 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: Pinelands.

Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy soils, without humus.

Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.

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.

Flower Color: Bluish or purplish.

Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.

Flowering Season: Spring-fall.

Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.

Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for common buckeye (Junonia coenia) butterflies.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.

Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.