General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also moist to wet wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.
Description: Medium herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: About 2-3 feet in height. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to peninsular Florida, then south along the southwest coast to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County Keys. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key, where last collected in 1973.
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: Marshes, swamps and pinelands.
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
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: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Lavender.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.
Flowering Season: Spring-summer.
Fruit: Inconspicuous nutlet.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides food for birds.
References: Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual
(2005).
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
