FNPS Plant Database

Bacopa caroliniana

blue waterhyssop, lemon hyssop
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

blue waterhyssop, lemon hyssop

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Bacopa caroliniana

Family:

Plantaginaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

0.25 - 0.5 ft tall by extensive mats ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

blue

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

winter dormant

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Spreading ground cover around the edges of retention ponds and aquatic gardens. Groundcover in restoration areas. Also used in aquariums.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Easily roots from division or stem cuttings.

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Aquatic -to- Aquatic

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

broadly tolerant, prefers some organics

Suitable to Grow In:

8A

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars

Larval host plant for white peacock ( Anartia jatrophae ) butterflies. Insect pollinated.

Native Habitats:

Marshes, swamps, ditches

Natural Range in Florida:

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Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Over the centuries, this plant has been used in religious and medical contexts. The plant has a broad distribution including a long history of ethnobotanical uses in India, leading to the suspicion that it may not be native to North America.

General Comments:

Lemon bacopa is distinguished by blue flowers, a hairy upper stem, and by the lemony scent of its crushed foliage. 

Citations:

Huegel, Craig N. (2015). Native Florida Plants for Shady Landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Traas, Pamela. (2001). Gardening for Florida's Butterflies. Great Outdoors Publishing Co., St. Petersburg, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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