General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.
Ecological Restoration Notes: A rare epiphyte in hammocks and swamps.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Epiphytic wildflower.
Dimensions: Stems about 2-3 feet in length; erect or pendent.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland north to Martin and Lee counties; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Very rare outside of Collier County. In Broward County, known from two locations; in Palm Beach County, known from one location; perhaps extirpated in Martin County.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: Swamps and moist forests.
Soils: Epiphytic; grows on the trunks and branches of trees and shrubs.
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow on nutrient poor substrate, but needs some nutrient inputs to thrive.
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 substrate and high humidity and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Light shade.
Flower Color: White.
Flower Characteristics: Showy. Fragrant, especially at night.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Capsule containing numerous minute seeds. Dispersal is by wind.
Horticultural Notes: Primarily grown from seed in a sterilized flask.
References: A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants
Comments: It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida. See also Florida Natural Areas Inventory's
Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida page (Chafin 2000).
