Trichostema dichotomum

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Forked Bluecurls

Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Plant Specifics

Form:Flower
Size:2-3 ft tall by 1-2 ft wide
Life Span:Annual
Flower Color:Blue
Fruit Color:NA
Noted for:Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:Wildflower garden. Appreciated for its interesting flowers and nectar plant. Grow as an annual.
Considerations:May seed overly enthusiastically.
Propagation:Seed.
Availability:Native nurseries, FNPS plant sales, Seed
Light: Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance:
always floodedextremely dry
 (Not wet but not extremely dry ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods)
Moisture Tolerance: Not wet but not extremely dry ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance:Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon (major storms).
Soil or other substrate:Sand
Soil pH:Adaptable

Ecology

Wildlife:
Insects:
 

Attracts various pollinators, especially bees..  Documented bees include Caupolicana electa and  Dialictus placidensis (Deyrup et al. 2002).

Native Habitats:Scrub, xeric hammock, overgrown sandhill, flatwoods.

Distribution and Planting Zones

Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones

Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 8A 8B 9A 9B 

USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures

Comments

General Comments:

Noted for fragrance.  Trichostema setaceum is similar but less common in central and southern Florida.

There are now at least 4 different Trichostema species being recognized in Florida.  Please get your plants locally given that we do not know how closely related these newly identified taxa may be, and we do not want to accidentally cause introgression between closely related species and subspecies.