General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts and some native plant nurseries.
Description: Small shrubby wildflower.
Dimensions: About 2-3 feet in height. About as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Eastern and central United States west to Kansas and Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico and Honduras. In the Monroe County Keys, known only from Big Pine Key in the lower Keys.
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, hammocks and swamp margins.
Soils: Moist to seasonally wet, moderately well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
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: Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color: Yellow.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.
Flowering Season: Summer-fall.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides some food and cover for wildlife. Attracts pollinators.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed. Harvest seed when mature, but before it becomes dried out.
References: Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual
(2005).
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
