General Landscape Uses:
Wildflower and rock gardens.
Availability:
Native plant nurseries. Available in Lake Worth at
Amelia's SmartyPlants (561-540-6296).
Description: Medium annual or short-lived perennial herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: About 12-18 inches in height. Usually about as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast.
Range:
Eastern and central North America west to Texas and south to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland; Bahamas.
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 and open coastal uplands.
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: High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Blue.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.
Flowering Season: All year; peak summer-fall.
Fruit: Inconspicuous nutlet.
Wildlife and Ecology: Attracts many pollinators, but especially bees.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
