FNPS Plant Database

Lyonia ferruginea

rusty lyonia
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

rusty lyonia

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Lyonia ferruginea

Family:

Ericaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

10-15 ft tall by 5-8 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms in spring.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Interesting Foliage, Interesting Bark

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Use where this small tree's interesting shape will be an asset. Does well as a small specimen tree near walkways. Also useful as a screen in dry settings.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

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

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- 1Stays wet

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:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11

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



Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators

Attracts bees. The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of  Lyonia ferruginea  at Archbold Biological Station as reported by Coastal Plant Plants Wiki.







  • Apidae:  Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens


  • Colletidae:  Colletes brimleyi, C. productus


  • Halictidae:  Agapostemon splendens, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis sumptuosa


  • Megachilidae:  Megachile xylocopoides


  • Sphecidae:  Oxybelus laetus fulvipes, Stictiella serrata, Tachysphex apicalis


  • Vespidae:  Stenodynerus lineatifrons


Native Habitats:

Scrub, scrubby flatwoods, overgrown sandhill.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

New leaves are rusty-orange. Easy to care for.



Can grow as a small tree or a shrub.  

Citations:

Coastal Plains Plants Wiki.  http://coastalplainplants.org/wiki/index.php/Lyonia_ferruginea



Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native Plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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