Stachytarpheta jamaicensis ~ Blue Porterweed

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis ~ Blue PorterweedBlue Porterweed is a low growing evergreen native perennial with trailing stems sporting coarsely serrated foliage often treated as an annual. The small purple tubular flowers bloom in clusters at the end of the stems in summer, or nearly all year when grown in its zones. Grows best with full sun and dry to medium well drained soils. Drought, salt, and poor soil tolerant. Stachytarpheta jamaicensis is a host plant of the Tropical buckeye butterfly,

Blue Porterweed is a low-growing evergreen native perennial with trailing stems sporting coarsely serrated foliage often treated as an annual.  The small purple tubular flowers bloom in clusters at the end of the stems in summer, or nearly all year when grown in its zones.  Grows best with full sun and dry to medium well-drained soils.  Drought, salt, and poor soil tolerant.

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis is a host plant of the Tropical buckeye butterfly, and attracts several other butterflies including the  Clouded skipper, Gulf fritillary, Red admiral, Monarch, and Julia.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low Maintenance.  No serious pests or diseases.  Slowly spreads to form colonies.
LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Naturalized Areas, Woodland Gardens, Rock Gardens, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS:  Fountain Grass, Lantana, Beardtongue

IMAGES: Albert, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis kui-chang, CC BY-SA 3.0, (2) J.M.Garg, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (Porterweed) in Talakona forest, AP W IMG 8352, CC BY-SA 4.0, (3) J.M.Garg, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (Porterweed) in Talakona forest, AP W IMG 8374, CC BY-SA 4.0, (4) Anish nellickal, ശീമക്കൊങ്ങിണി 11, CC BY-SA 4.0 

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.