General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Medium short-lived perennial herb.
Dimensions: Typically 2-3 feet in height, sometimes more. Usually taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Duval, Alachua and Levy counties, then scattered in north Florida, Louisiana and Texas; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Very rare and scattered in the Monroe County Keys.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: Hammocks.
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance: Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Secondary line; tolerates significant salt wind without injury, but usually is somewhat protected.
Drought Tolerance: Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements: Light shade.
Flower Color: White.
Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Inconspicuous membranaceous utricle.
Wildlife and Ecology: Principal larval host plant of Hayhurst's scallopwing (Staphylus hayhurstii) butterflies. Attracts bee pollinators.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed or cuttings.
Comments: See also a 2022 post on the
Treasure Coast Natives blog on the naming history of
Iresine diffusa and tips for distinguishing between male and female flowers.
