General Landscape Uses: Wildflower gardens.
Ecological Restoration Notes: An uncommon understory herb in mesic flatwoods.
Description: Small to medium wildflower.
Dimensions: Typically 6-15 inches in height. Usually erect and taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range: Eastern and central United States west to Texas and south to Broward and Collier counties. Perhaps extirpated in Broward County.
Habitats: Pinelands.
Soils: Moist, well-drained 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: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Blue or pink.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Spring-summer.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for common buckeye (Junonia coenia) and white peacock (Anartia jatrophae) butterflies. It also attract pollinators.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seeds, cuttings and divisions.
Comments: It will spread from seed in the garden, but is not aggressive.
Chi Ma –
Great native flower.