Light. Grows best in full sun and also takes part sun.
Water. Water while it establishes. After that it needs no extra water and survives very long dry periods. It does not like flooding.
Soil and feeding. It grows in sandy or limestone soil and does well in poor, low-nutrient ground, so it needs little feeding.
Size. A low, sprawling plant about 2 ft tall and often 3–4 ft wide.
Problems to watch. A dark rust fungus sometimes spots the leaves. It is specific to porterweed and usually does little harm.
Good to know. A Florida native that blooms nearly year-round and lives about 5 years; it is easy to grow from seed or cuttings. It is a larval host for the tropical buckeye butterfly and a nectar plant for many butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. It takes salty wind and some salt spray.
Sources: Florida Native Plant Society Plant Database: Stachytarpheta jamaicensis · Natives for Your Neighborhood (Institute for Regional Conservation): Stachytarpheta jamaicensis · UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County: Porterweed Rust Fungus
