Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower gardens.

Availability: Grown by enthusiasts.

Description: Small herbaceous wildflower.

Dimensions: About 3-9 inches in height. Spreading and forming small open patches broader than tall.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Southeastern United States south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties. Very rare and sporadic in South Florida outside of Miami-Dade County. In Broward County, known only from Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area.

 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.

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: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.

Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.

Light Requirements: Full sun.

Flower Color: White to pink.

Flower Characteristics: Showy.

Flowering Season: Spring-fall.

Fruit: Small pod (legume).

Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for northern cloudywing (Thorybes pylades).

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.

References: Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual (2005).