FNPS Plant Database

Phyla nodiflora

frogfruit, turkey tangle fogfruit, capeweed
  • Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
  • Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
  • Photo by: Marjorie Shropshire, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Marjorie Shropshire, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Marjorie Shropshire, Martin County Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

frogfruit, turkey tangle fogfruit, capeweed

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Phyla nodiflora

Family:

Verbenaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

6 inches

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white,purple

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms all year.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Low growing groundcover. Can be used as a turf substitute in low traffic areas.

Considerations:

Availability:

Friends

Propagation:

Division.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

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

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

adaptable

Suitable to Grow In:

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

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

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Butterflies, Caterpillars



  •  Larval host  for common buckeye ( Junonia coenia ), phaon crescent ( Phyciodes phaon ) and white peacock ( Anartia jatrophae ) butterflies. 


  • Nectar plant for barred yellow ( Eurema daira ), ceraunus blue ( Hemiargus ceraunus ), field skipper ( Atalopedes campestris ), gray hairstreak ( Strymon melinus ), little metalmark ( Calephelis virginiensis ), Miami blue ( Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri ), Palatka skipper ( Euphyes pilatka ), phaon crescent, queen ( Danaus gilippus ), swarthy skipper ( Nastra lherminier ), tropical checkered-skipper ( Pyrgus oileus ) and other butterflies.


Native Habitats:

Dry-moist-wet sites. Disturbed wet prairies, ruderal areas.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Hammer, Roger. (2015). Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies in Tropical Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Minno, Marc, and Maria Minno. (1999). Florida Butterfly Gardening: A Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Butterflies. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


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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