General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Identified by Fair Child Tropical Botanic Garden as a native that does especially well in shade in this
brochure.
Availability:
Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida. Available in Lake Worth at
Amelia's SmartyPlants, and in Naples at
Everglades Native Designs.
Description: Medium to large short-lived herb with shiny red berries.
Dimensions: Typically 1-4 feet in height. About as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Duval, Marion and Levy counties and west to Arizona; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: A wide variety of forested ecosystems.
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy, limestone, or organic 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: Light shade.
Flower Color: Pinkish.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy racemes.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Showy red berries.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
References: Hammer 2004
Comments: Rouge plant recruits readily from seed in the garden and can become very aggressive in shady areas. The fruits have been used to make red dye and rouge.
