| Tropical-puff
|
| Neptunia pubescens
|
| Fabaceae
|
Landscape Uses:
|
|
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower and butterfly gardens. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
|
|
| Availability: |
|
Available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. |
| Description: |
| |
Small creeping herb with clusters of yellow flowers. |
| Height: |
| |
About 2-6 inches in height. Spreading and forming small, open patches. |
| Growth Rate: |
| |
Moderate. |
| Range: |
| |
Southeastern United States west to Texas and south, mostly along the Florida coasts, to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Rare in the Monroe County Keys and very rare or absent in the middle Keys. |
| Habitats: |
| |
Pinelands, open coastal uplands and disturbed sites. |
| 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: |
| |
Secondary line; tolerates significant salt wind without injury, but usually is somewhat protected. |
| Drought Tolerance: |
| |
High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
| Light Requirements: |
| |
Full sun. |
| Flower Color: |
| |
Yellow. |
| Flower Characteristics: |
| |
Showy globose heads. |
| Flowering Season: |
| |
Spring-fall; peak in spring. |
| Fruit: |
| |
Brown flattened pod (legume), about 1" long, splitting open when ripe. |
| Wildlife and Ecology: |
| |
Larval host plant for ceraunus blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) butterflies. |
| Horticultural Notes: |
| |
Can be grown from seed. |
| Comments: |
| |
The leaflets are sensitive, and will close when touched. |
|
|
|
James Johnson, 2014 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
|
|
|