General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.
Ecological Restoration Notes: An empheral groundcover in open areas in beach dune and coastal strand.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Small creeping herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: About 3-6 inches in height. Spreading and forming small, open patches.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Eastern and southeastern United States west along the coasts to Louisiana and south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties; Bermuda and Cuba.
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: Open coastal uplands.
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy 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: Yellowish-orange.
Flower Characteristics: Showy but small.
Flowering Season: All year; peak spring-summer.
Fruit: Inconspicuous linear capsule. All year.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
References: Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual
(2005).
