General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Rarely grown by native plant nurseries.
Description: Medium to large, erect herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: Typically 3-4 feet in height, much taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland; Greater Antilles.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Freshwater marshes, wet prairies and disturbed sites.
Soils: Wet, poorly drained soils.
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: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Purple.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.
Flowering Season: Summer.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology: Flowers attract bees and butterflies.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
