Buchnera floridana
Florida bluehearts
Overview
Buchnera floridana is a slender, upright perennial 1-2.5 feet (30-75 cm) tall, with a single rough-hairy stem that branches little or not at all. The leaves are narrow and stalkless, 1-3 inches (2.5-8 cm) long, opposite at the base and reduced upward, with rough surfaces that blacken when the plant is dried. Small, five-lobed flowers about 0.4 inch (1 cm) across open in a loose spike at the top of the stem, ranging from deep blue-purple to violet, each with a slender tube and a flat, star-like face. Flowering occurs over a long season, mainly spring through autumn in warm climates. The plant is a root hemiparasite, making its own food but also tapping the roots of nearby grasses and other plants for water and minerals. It grows in moist pine flatwoods, savannas, bogs, and roadside ditches of the southeastern United States. A limitation in cultivation is this parasitic habit, since the plant grows poorly without suitable host plants nearby.
Native Range
Buchnera floridana is native to the southeastern United States, mainly Florida and the adjacent coastal plain from the Carolinas to Texas. It grows in moist, sandy pinelands, savannas, and bog margins.Suggested Uses
Grown in native plant gardens, restored pine savannas, bog gardens, and wet meadows where host grasses are present. Suited to sunny, moist, sandy sites managed with periodic fire or mowing. The flowers draw small native bees and butterflies through the warm season.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 2'6"
Width/Spread6" - 1'
Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years
Bloom Information
Blue-purple flowers open in a slender terminal spike over a long season, mainly spring into autumn in warm climates and summer further north. New flowers open upward along the spike over several weeks. Bloom is heaviest in moist years and after fire opens the habitat.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
blue-purple to violetFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight