Ceratiola spp.

Florida rosemary

Ericaceae Southeastern United States

Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Fragrant (light)

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterVery Low · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 7–10

Overview

Ceratiola spp. is a genus in the heath family, Ericaceae, represented by the single species C. ericoides, known as Florida rosemary. It is an evergreen shrub of the southeastern United States, forming a rounded, much-branched bush 2 to 6 feet (0.6 to 1.8 m) tall and roughly as wide. The needle-like leaves are 0.2 to 0.4 inch (5 to 10 mm) long, crowded in whorls along the reddish stems, giving the plant a feathery, rosemary-like look from which the common name comes, though it is unrelated to culinary rosemary. Plants are dioecious, with tiny yellow to reddish flowers tucked in the leaf axils on separate male and female bushes during the cooler months. Small dry fruits follow on female plants. Ceratiola spp. grows in deep, sterile white sands of scrub and sandhill habitats and releases the compound ceratiolin, which breaks down into chemicals that suppress nearby germinating grasses, creating bare sand zones around established shrubs. The deep root system reaches moisture well below the dry surface, letting the plant persist through drought and frequent fire.

Native Range

Ceratiola ericoides is native to the southeastern United States, from the coastal plain of South Carolina and Georgia through Florida and west to Mississippi, where it grows in dry, sandy scrub and sandhill communities.

Suggested Uses

Planted in native scrub restorations, xeric and sand gardens, and pollinator plantings within the southeastern coastal plain. It stabilises dry sandy ground and supports specialised scrub wildlife. It is rarely grown outside its native sandy range.

How to Identify

Rounded evergreen shrub with crowded whorls of needle-like leaves 0.2 to 0.4 inch (5 to 10 mm) long on reddish stems, resembling an oversized sprig of rosemary. Tiny yellow to red flowers sit in the leaf axils in the cool season. It grows almost exclusively in deep white sand.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height2' - 6'

Width/Spread2' - 6'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~12 weeks

Fall Winter Spring

Flowering occurs mainly from late autumn through early spring, when small wind-pollinated flowers open in the leaf axils. Male and female flowers form on separate plants. Dry one-seeded fruits ripen on female shrubs through spring.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

yellow to reddish

Foliage Description

green to grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

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

Soil Requirements

pH Range4.5 - 6.0(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Very Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

3-5 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Florida rosemary needs full sun and very sharply drained, infertile sandy or gravelly soil with an acidic pH around 4.5 to 6.0. It tolerates extreme drought once established and declines in rich soil, under irrigation, or where roots are disturbed. Transplanting is difficult because of the deep taproot, so container-grown plants are set out young. It suits xeriscapes and native sand gardens within its range and seldom persists in heavy or wet ground. Salt and wind exposure are tolerated in coastal sites.

Pruning

Little to no pruning is required. The plant can be lightly shaped after flowering if a denser form is wanted, though the natural rounded habit needs no intervention. It responds poorly to hard cutting into old bare wood, which seldom resprouts.