General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower and rock gardens.
Availability:
Native plant nurseries.
Description: Small to medium herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: About 1-3 feet in height; more when in flower. Usually taller than broad, but sometimes falling over and forming small patches.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys; Bahamas. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key. Not documented on barrier islands in South Florida, but possibly historically present; it grows well at
Pan’s Garden in Palm Beach.
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 and prairies.
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: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Yellow.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Spring-fall.
Fruit: Inconspicuous achene.
Wildlife and Ecology: Flowers attract bees and butterflies.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and division.
References: Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual
(2005).
Comments: A taxon with significant morphological variation undergoing taxonomic revision; appropriate sources should be used. Good for cut flowers. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
