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. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation’s Flower Friday page.