Florida beargrass
Nolina atopocarpa
Asparagaceae


Landscape Uses:

Wildflower gardens.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

Availability:
Rarely grown by native plant nurseries.
Description:
Clumping grassy wildflower with wiry leaves 1.5-3 feet long. Small greenish-white flowers in the summer along branched stems 2-3 feet tall.
Height:
Usually 1 foot in height, up to 3 feet when flowering.
Growth Rate:
Range:
Endemic to Florida. Scattered from Franklin to St. Johns counties south to Osceola and Lee counties.
Habitats:
Wet flatwoods.
Soils:
Wet to moist, seasonally inundated sandy soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements:
Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance:
Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements:
Full sun. Will tolerate light shade.
Flower Color:
Greenish white.
Flower Characteristics:
Individual flowers inconspicuous on showy stems.
Flowering Season:
Summer.
Fruit:
Wildlife and Ecology:
Horticultural Notes:
Comments:
We have been adding data for this species for central and northern Florida and welcome any feedback or review. If you would like to contribute information or images, please contact George Gann via the IRC staff page. See also Florida Natural Areas Inventory's Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida page (Chafin 2000).


Jake Heaton
In habitat at the Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area, Charlotte County, Florida, USA, 2015.
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Jake Heaton
In habitat at the Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area, Charlotte County, Florida, USA, 2015.
Enlarge
Jake Heaton
In habitat at the Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area, Charlotte County, Florida, USA, 2015.
Enlarge
Jake Heaton
In habitat at the Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area, Charlotte County, Florida, USA, 2015.
Enlarge
Jake Heaton
In habitat at the Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area, Charlotte County, Florida, USA, 2015.
Enlarge
Jake Heaton
In habitat at the Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area, Charlotte County, Florida, USA, 2015.
Enlarge
Jake Heaton
In habitat at the Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area, Charlotte County, Florida, USA, 2015.
Enlarge
Jake Heaton
In habitat at the Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area, Charlotte County, Florida, USA, 2015.
Enlarge

Lilly Anderson-Messec via her Instagram account @lilliumbyrd.