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:

NA

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

Coming Soon!

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

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars

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

Native Habitats:

Marshes, swamps, ditches

Natural Range in Florida:

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.