General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also accent epiphtye.
Ecological Restoration Notes: A relatively common epiphyte in hammocks and swamps.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Epiphytic herb.
Dimensions: About 6-12 inches in height; up to 24 inches in flower. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Indian River, Orange, Polk and Hillsborough counties; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Rare in the Monroe County Keys and either very rare or absent in the middle Keys. Scattered north of Lake Okeechobee.
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: Moist forests and swamps.
Soils: Epiphytic; grows on the trunks and branches of trees and shrubs.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows on nutrient poor substrate.
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: Light shade to full sun.
Flower Color: Purple.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy inflorescence.
Flowering Season: Summer-fall.
Fruit: Green to brown capsule with hairy, wind dispersed seeds.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and division.
Comments: It is listed as threatened by the state of Florida.
