Is Porter weed invasive?
A prolific bloomer, nettle-leaf porterweed is popular in cultivation and is now naturalized in tropical regions throughout the world, including Africa, Melanesia and Australia. In Florida, it is listed by the Florida Exotic Plant Pest Council as a category II invasive species for the southern portion of the state.
Is Red porterweed a perennial?
DWARF RED PORTER WEED – A perennial in zones 9-11, growing 18-20″ tall in sun to part shade. Producing long spike-like bloom stems lined with 1/4″ soft red flowers from spring thru fall. It is a magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies. Drought tolerant.
How do you take care of red porterweed?
Soil & Moisture: Average moist, well-drained soil. Flowering Period: Spring-frost or year round in warm, frost free conditions. Fertilizing: Spring-frost or year round in warm, frost free conditions. Pruning: Not needed except to remove spent flower stems though it’s not required, pinch to improve branching.
Does Porter weed need sun?
Blue porterweed plants grow best in full sun to partial shade. When they are first planted, they need moist soil but, once established, they can handle drought quite well. They can tolerate salty conditions too. If you’re planting them as groundcover, space the plants out by 2.5 to 3 feet (1 m.).
How tall does porter weed get?
Porterweed is a small perennial shrub that becomes woody toward the base of the stem as is grows to about one year old. Plants grow about 4 feet tall by 6 feet wide before stems droop and touch the ground.
Do you cut back porterweed?
You may want to trim the shrub occasionally to keep it shaped. Cut it back hard in spring (late March or early April) to encourage new growth to keep it full and bushy. Fertilize in spring, summer, and fall with a good granular fertilizer.
What is porterweed good for?
We don’t recommend it, but blue porterweed is reported to have a wide range of medicinal uses, from treating fungal infections to high blood pressure, colds, constipation, diarrhea, boils, burns, earache, headache, allergies, worms, and “nervous pains.”
Will porterweed come back after a freeze?
Porterweed is an annual in North Florida, but may overwinter if protected from the cold.
Is Porter weed a Florida native?
Plant Description: Porterweed is an annual in North Florida, but may overwinter if protected from the cold. The Florida native S. jamaicensis has a low- growing, sprawling habit and stays below 1 foot tall not including its blue-flowered spikes.
Do Porterweeds attract butterflies?
Importance as a butterfly nectar source: An extremely popular nectar source with a wide variety of butterflies including the Gulf Fritillary, Julia, and Large Orange Sulphur gives blue porterweed a nectar rating of 3.
What does porterweed look like?
Plant Description: Porterweed is an annual in North Florida, but may overwinter if protected from the cold. Small blue or pink flowers appear in numbers on long spikes at the end of the stems, and are very attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. Plants vary in size and growth habit depending on the species.