General Landscape Uses:
Accent shrub in open coastal areas.
Availability:
Native plant nurseries. Available in in Boynton Beach at
Sustainscape (561-245-5305).
Description: Small shrub with succulent leaves and trailing stems. Leaves thick, dark green.
Dimensions: About 2-5 feet in height. Usually broader than tall.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Brevard, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; West Indies, Mexico, South America, Galapagos and Old World tropics. Rare in the Monroe County Keys; now migrating to the north along the coasts.
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: Beach dunes, coastal strand and coastal grasslands.
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: Frontline; grows in direct salt wind but away from constant salt spray.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: White to pinkish white.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy. One-sided, appearing like a flower cut in half.
Flowering Season: All year; peak in summer.
Fruit: Black ovoid drupe. All year.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides significant food and moderate amounts of cover for wildlife.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and division (rooted stems).
References: Schaefer & Tanner 1997
Comments: It is listed as threatened by the state of Florida.
