This easy to grow perennial wild flower makes for a great ground cover. This Florida Native attracts butterflies with its small light blue/purple flowers and is a host plant to the beautiful Buckeye butterfly. This variety of twin flower can grow well in dry, sandy soils and is highly drought tolerant once established. Unlike its cousin the 'Oblongleaf twin flower', this variety is more compact and dense and rarely reaches 1 foot of height.
How to care for Swamp Twin Flower
Light. Light shade to full sun.
Water. It needs moist soil and handles only short dry periods once established. Water during dry spells.
Soil and feeding. Give it moist, well-drained sandy soil with a humus-rich top layer, acidic to neutral.
Size. Usually 4–12 inches tall. Stems root where they touch the ground, so it slowly spreads into a groundcover.
Problems to watch. Salt wind burns the leaves, so keep it away from the coast. Plants can be short-lived; divide clumps or save seed to keep it going.
Good to know. A Florida native of moist forests near wetlands. It is a larval host for the common buckeye butterfly. It takes mowing and some foot traffic.
Sources: Natives for Your Neighborhood (Institute for Regional Conservation): Dyschoriste humistrata · Florida Native Plant Society Plant Database: Dyschoriste humistrata
