• Family name: Asteraceae

• Host plant for: Little Metalmark (Calephelis virginiana)

• General description: Erect herbaceous and short-lived perennial with elongated spiny leaves and large showy flowers that vary in color from pink to whitish-yellow. Propagate from seed. Grow in full sun to part shade. Adaptable to many soil types. Can tolerate dry conditions. Moderate salt tolerance. Weedy appearance and sharp spiny leaves may limit garden use. Flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators.

• Type: Perennial flower
• Flower: Large purple, pink to whitish-yellow flowers
• Bloom time: Spring to early summer, occasionally in fall
• Soil type: Moist, well-drained, sandy or limestone soils
• Maximum height: 3 feet

• Candidate for home gardens: Distinctive perennial, larval host and nectar source
• Availability in nursery: Not commercially available. Grown by wildflower enthusiasts.
• Frenquency in the wild: Common
• Habitat: ruderal
• Range in Florida
  

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The Florida Wildflowers & Butterflies projects at the Florida Museum are sponsored in part by the State of Florida and the Florida Wildflower Foundation, Inc.