General Landscape Uses:
Wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida.
Description: Perennial wildflower 1.5-3 feet tall with rough-hairy leaves and stems. Ray flowers mostly absent or inconspicuous, purple disk flowers.
Dimensions: Solitary stem up to 3 feet in height.
Range:
Southern United States south to Hillsborough, Hardee, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties. Also present in Collier county.
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: Moist to wet flatwoods.
Soils: Moist to wet, seasonally inundated sandy soils, without humus.
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: Moderate to low; requires moist to wet soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Purple.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Fall.
Wildlife and Ecology: Attracts native bees and other beneficial insects. Provides seeds and insects for birds.
References: Hall (
2020)
Comments: We have been adding data for this species for central and northern Florida and welcome any feedback or review. If you would like to contribute information or images, please contact George Gann via the IRC staff page.
See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page and a 2019 post on the
Treasure Coast Natives blog on why sunflowers bend.
