General Landscape Uses:
Not recommended for general landscape use. It can be incorporated into habitat restorations but it can be very aggressive, recruiting readily from seed and growing very quickly.
Availability:
Occasionally grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Medium herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: 1-2 feet in height; generally taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Widespread in North America, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America; a naturalized weed in Hawaii and elsewhere.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Coastal and disturbed uplands.
Soils: Moist to dry, 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: the flowers are green, subtended by large reddish leafy bracts.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Insignificant capsule.
References: Hammer 2004
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
