FNPS Plant Database

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis

blue porterweed, joee
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast 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
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Eleanor Dietrich, Magnolia Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

blue porterweed, joee

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis

Family:

Verbenaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

0.5-1 ft tall by 3-4 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

blue,purple

Fruit Color:

NA

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms more-or-less all year.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Groundcover or in a meadow.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Seed

Propagation:

Seeds and cuttings. Lifespan is about 5 years.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

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

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Lime Rock

Soil pH:

Adaptable

Suitable to Grow In:

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

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



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Butterflies, Caterpillars, Hummingbirds

Larval host for tropical buckeye ( Junonia genoveva ) butterfly. 





Nectar plant for many butterflies and moths including: Bahamian swallowtail ( Papilio andraemon ), clouded skipper ( Lerema accius ), Cuban crescent ( Phyciodes frisia ), Dorantes longtail ( Urbanus dorantes ), fiery skipper ( Hylephila phyleus ), great southern white ( Ascia monuste ), gulf fritillary ( Agraulis vanillae ), julia ( Dryas iulia ), large orange sulphur ( Phoebis agarithe ), little yellow ( Eurema lisa ), long-tailed skipper ( Urbanus proteus ), lyside skipper ( Kricogonia lyside ), Meske's skipper ( Hesperia meskei ), Palatka skipper ( Euphyes pilatka ), red admiral ( Vanessa atalanta ), Schaus' swallowtail ( Papilio aristodemus ponceanus ), swarthy skipper ( Nastra lherminier ), tropical checkered-skipper ( Pyrgus oileus ) and variegated fritillary ( Euptoieta claudia ) ( IRC )





Used by bees including Bombus pensylvanicus (Deyrup et al. 2002).

Attracts  hummingbirds.

Native Habitats:

Coastal strand, open areas in dry mesic hardwood forests, sometimes nestled under trees along sandy roadsides.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

The name porterweed is a reference to reported medicinal uses. A foaming, porter-like brew, much like beer, is made from at least one species in the Bahamas. The drink is used for fever, for "the cooling of the blood," as a wash for skin irritations, to relieve constipation, and for worms in children. Whether it works or not is open to conjecture. Other local names include "snakeweed," "rat's tail" and "vervain." The generic name is taken from the Greek stachys, meaning "spike," and tarphys, meaning "thick," referring to the thickened flowerspike typical of the genus. (ethnobotanical information provided by Roger Hammer)

General Comments:

This species can be distinguished from related non-natives by its trailing stems and lance-shaped leaves.



Stachytarpheta urticifolia, commonly sold by non-native nurseries, is native to tropical Asia. It has an erect growth habit.

Citations:

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



Hammer, Roger. 2015.  Attracting hummingbirds and butterflies in tropical Florida.  University Presses of Florida.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2012.  Native wildflowers and other ground covers for Florida landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Tras, Pamela. 2001.  Gardening for Florida's butterflies.  Great Outdoors Publishing, St. Petersburg, FL.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu /).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.  https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=703

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