Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower and butterfly gardens.

Availability: Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.

Description: Small creeping herb with clusters of yellow flowers.

Dimensions: About 2-6 inches in height. Spreading and forming small, open patches.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Southeastern United States west to Texas and south, mostly along the Florida coasts, to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Rare in the Monroe County Keys and very rare or absent in the middle 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, open coastal uplands and disturbed sites.

Soils: Moist, 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: Yellow.

Flower Characteristics: Showy globose heads.

Flowering Season: Spring-fall; peak in spring.

Fruit: Brown flattened pod (legume), about 1" long, splitting open when ripe.

Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for ceraunus blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) butterflies.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.

References: Hammer 2004

Comments: The leaflets are sensitive, and will close when touched.