Copyright by: George D. Gann
in habitat, Everglades National Park, Key Largo, Florida, 2013
General Landscape Uses:
Accent epiphyte; on live oaks along forest edges.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Epiphytic ball-shaped herb.
Dimensions: 4-6 inches in height. About as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to southeastern Georgia and west to Arizona; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Rare in the Monroe County Keys south of Key Largo and perhaps absent from the middle Keys.
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: Full sun.
Flower Color: Whitish-green.
Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous.
Flowering Season: Spring-fall.
Fruit: Green to brown capsule with hairy, wind dispersed seeds.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and division.
References: A Gardner's Guide to Florida's Native Plants
