General Landscape Uses:
Accent or specimen shrub. Because of its weediness, not recommended for general landscape use on the mainland.
Ecological Restoration Notes: A typical but somewhat rare element of coastal rock barrens in the Florida Keys.
Availability:
Native plant nurseries. Available in Fort Myers at
All Native Garden Center (239-939-9663).
Description: Medium mound-like shrub, sometimes becoming vinelike.
Dimensions: Typically 5-10 feet in height, or taller when vinelike. Usually about as broad as tall, but then climbing into other vegetation.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland; disjunct in Hendry County; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Rare in the Monroe County Keys, where mostly restricted to coastal rock barren habitats. Its distribution on the mainland is very spotty and not well understood.
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: Hammock edges and coastal rock barrens.
Soils: Moist, well-drained limestone or calcareous sandy soils, with humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
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: Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color: White.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Round red drupe.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides food and cover for wildlife. Nectar plant for butterflies and other pollinators.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
References: Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual
(2005).
Comments: Recruits readily from seed in the garden and can be quite weedy when planted on the mainland. It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida.
