Lachnanthes caroliana
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Redroot
Haemodoraceae
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Flower | |
| Size: | 3 ft tall by 0.5 ft wide | |
| Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | White,yellow | |
| Fruit Color: | NA | |
| Phenology: | Winter dormant. Flowers summer-fall. | |
| Noted for: | Showy flowers, Interesting foliage |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Groundcover or mass planting in moist areas. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Easily spread by division. Can also be planted from seed (no cold stratification is needed). Seeds are available through the Florida Wildflowers Growers Cooperative. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Seed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Stays Wet ----- to ----- Somewhat moist, no flooding) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Stays Wet ----- to ----- Somewhat moist, no flooding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Organic material (muck), Lime rock, Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | 4 - 6.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
This is a favorite food plant of feral hogs which will dig up large patches overnight. | |
| Insects: | Attracts bees, wasps, and butterflies. Documented bee species include Agapostemon splendens, Augochloropsis metallica, A. sumptuosa, Dialictus coreopsis, D. tamiamensis, Anthidiellum perplexum, Anthidium maculifroizs, Coelioxys dolichos, C. mexicana, C. octodentata, C. sayi, Megachile albitarsis, M. brevis pseudobreuis, M. georgica, M. inendica, M. petulans, M. texana, M. xylocopoides, Melissodes coinmunis, Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens, B. pennsylvanicus, Xylocopa micans and X. virginica krom beini (Deyrup et al. 2002). | |
| Native Habitats: | Marshes, wet depressions, disturbed areas, cutthroat seeps, disturbed sites (dry muck), flatwoods. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 8A 8B 9A 9B
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| Ethnobotany: | Poisonous to humans. | |
| General Comments: | Flowers have yellow tepals but the inflorescence has abundant white hairs which provide an overall white aspect in the landscape. The species is named for its red roots and rhizomes. Feral hogs love this plant and will dig up extensive areas to get the roots. The plant in turn recovers quickly and new plants come up from the fragmented rhisomes. |