General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.

Ecological Restoration Notes: A rare epiphyte in hammocks and swamps.

Description: Epiphytic herb with thick, succulent leaves. Leaves 2-6 inches long.

Dimensions: About 6-9 inches in height. Spreading and forming small clumps broader than tall.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Miami-Dade and Collier counties and the Monroe County mainland; disjunct in Indian River and Brevard counties; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.

Habitats: Moist hammocks and swamps.

Soils: Epiphytic; or terrestrial in moist, well-drained humusy leaf litter, acid to neutral pH.

Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow on nutrient poor substrate, but needs some nutrient inputs 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 substrate and high humidity and is intolerant of long periods of drought.

Light Requirements: Light shade.

Flower Color: Green.

Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous.

Flowering Season: All year; peak in summer.

Fruit: Inconspicuous berry.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from cuttings.

Comments: Most plants sold as P. obtusifolia are from tropical American stock; local material is recommended. It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida.