General Landscape Uses:
Wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Widely available in central Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in northeast and South Florida.
Description: Perennial wildflower with showy heads of lavender to bluish flowers, 2-4 inches wide.
Dimensions: Typically 1-3 feet in height when blooming.
Range:
Southern United States south to Escambia to Wakulla counties. A population is also present in Nassau county.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Savannahs, flatwoods, low pinelands.
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy soils, without humus, typically with acid pH.
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: Moderate to low; requires moist to wet soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements: Light shade to full sun.
Flower Color: Lavender to blue.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Spring and summer.
Fruit: Tiny achene.
Wildlife and Ecology: Attracts native bees and other beneficial insects. Valuable source of insects for birds.
References: Nelson (
2003)
Comments: We have been adding data for this species for central and northern Florida and welcome any feedback or review. If you would like to contribute information or images, please contact George Gann via the IRC staff page. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
