General Landscape Uses:
Accent shrub and natural landscapes.
Ecological Restoration Notes: Historically, known in Florida only from three old records from both sides of the Miami River (south of Coral Gables, Coral Gables, Buena Vista) and one specimen from a xeric hammock five miles south of Ft. Pierce in St. Lucie County. The last native population was vouchered in 1967 (
Beckner 1978 FLAS), and extirpated sometime thereafter. Now widely cultivated from nonnative germplasm and naturalizing from Orlando south to the Florida Keys. To be planted with caution.
Availability:
Native plant nurseries. Available in Lake Worth at
Amelia's SmartyPlants (561-540-6296), in Sarasota at
Florida Native Plants Nursery (941-322-1915) and in Boynton Beach at
Sustainscape (561-245-5305).
Description: Medium shrub; can be as broad as tall or broader.
Dimensions: To six feet in height or taller.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Peninsular Florida (Miami-Dade, St. Lucie counties), where extirpated and reintroduced, and Texas; the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Pine rocklands and xeric hammock; disturbed uplands.
Soils: Moist well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with or without humusy top layer.
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: High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Pink.
Flower Characteristics: Small showy flowers.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Tiny capsule, about 1/4 long.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides nectar for a variety of butterflies, bees, and other wildlife.
Horticultural Notes: Easily grown from seed.
Comments: A beautiful and interesting specimen or accent shrub that attracts many insect visitors, but can become quickly overgrown; it may also readily recruit from seed in the garden.
