Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Retention: Semi-evergreen
Size Notes: 3-6 inches
Leaf: Green, with reddish or purplish tinge in cold winters
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , AZ , CA , FL , GA , HI , KS , KY , LA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NM , NV , OK , OR , PA , SC , TX , UT , VA
Native Distribution: Southern half of the US to the tropics.
Native Habitat: Anywhere from ditches and roadways to beaches and fields.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), HI(I), PR(N), VI(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low , Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Sand, loam, clay, caliche, limestone. Poor drainage and saline soils okay.
Conditions Comments: Tolerates drought and flooding. Will go dormant during hard winters.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: A great groundcover for full sun and part shade areas, with trailing foliage and charming, mini-verbena-like flowers. Would also do well as a pot plant.
Use Wildlife: Attracts numerous insect pollinators.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Larval Host: Phaon Crescentspot, Buckeye, and White Peacock butterflies
Nectar Source: yes
Deer Resistant: Moderate

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Phyla nodiflora is a larval host and/or nectar source for:

Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon) Larval Host Learn more at BAMONA

White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae) Larval Host Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

Propagation Material: Root Division
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Water in dry areas or seasons to maintain a solid cover. Do not mow while blooming, as it can take years to recover.

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Native grasses for East Texas that require no mowing or watering
June 16, 2010
What native grass can I grow in deep East Texas that would require no supplemental watering and no mowing?
view the full question and answer

Native grasses for shade in Dallas
November 30, 2008
What native grasses can be grown under large Live Oaks in the Dallas Area? The combination of shade and black gumbo soil seem to keep all plant life, except for poison ivy and ferns, out. I would lo...
view the full question and answer

Native ground cover to replace grass in Florida.
February 04, 2008
Where can I find a list of ground covers to replace my grass. I live in the south of Ocala Florida.
view the full question and answer

Ground cover for trails in Northeast Texas
January 09, 2008
I have several acres of wooded land in Northeast Texas, Southern Lamar County. Both sandy and black land. I have created trails through the woods and would like to plant a native ground cover or gras...
view the full question and answer

Sedges and ornamentals for shade in Bastrop County
June 20, 2007
I bought a home in Elgin, TX that was owned by an elderly woman. Most of the lawn is shaded by elm or pecan trees. In the sunny areas, i got native wildflowers to grow like lantana and coneflower,...
view the full question and answer

From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Native Plant Nursery - Sanibel, FL

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Sibley Nature Center - Midland, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Native Plant Society of Texas - Fredericksburg, TX
Nueces River Authority - Uvalde, TX
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX
NPSOT - Fredericksburg Chapter - Fredericksburg, TX
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX
National Butterfly Center - Mission, TX
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR
Jacob's Well Natural Area - Wimberley, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0612 Collected May 30, 1992 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe
NPSOT 0179 Collected May 15, 1991 in Bexar County by Judith C. Berry
NPSOT 0676 Collected Jul 18, 1992 in Bandera County by Harry Cliffe
NPSOT 0535 Collected Jul 28, 1987 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe
NPSOT 0405 Collected Jun 6, 1993 in Comal County by Mary Beth White

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-606 Collected 2007-10-02 in Travis County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Bibliography

Bibref 1186 - Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Bibref 1185 - Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Phyla nodiflora in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Phyla nodiflora in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Phyla nodiflora