Justicia americana (Linnaeus) Vahl. Common name: American Water-willow. Phenology: (Apr-) Jun-Oct. Habitat: River and stream beds, in shallow water, often rooted in rocky shallows. Distribution: W. QC west to s. MI and NE, south to sw. GA, Panhandle FL, and s. TX; COA and CHH.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Can, Fl6, GrPl, GW2, Il, K4, Mi, Mo2, NcTx, NE, NS, NY, Ok, Pa, RAB, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, WV, Daniel (2013), Long (1970), Wasshausen (1998); = Dianthera americana L. — POWO, S; > Justicia americana (L.) Vahl var. americana — F, G; > Justicia americana (L.) Vahl var. subcoriacea Fernald — F, G; > Justicia mortuifluminis Fernald — F. Basionym: Dianthera americana L. 1753
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL
- Great Plains: OBL
- Midwest: OBL
- Northcentral & Northeast: OBL
Heliophily ⓘ: 8
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© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Justicia americana, New River, Sandstone Falls, New River Gorge National River, Raleigh and Summers Counties, West Virginia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Rhizomatous, colonial perennial of shallow water in river and stream beds.
Stems: Stems mostly simple, smooth, often rooting at nodes.
Leaves: Leaves opposite and ascending, sessile or short petiolate, narrowly elliptic and tapering to a long wedge-like base, to 5 or more in. long, margins entire.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers in dense, short spikes arising from upper leaf axils, in opposite pairs on the spike; white to pale violet-pink; bilaterally symmetric and tubular, but deeply cleft into 4-5 parts, the upper lip recurved and lower lip 3-lobed, marked with purple.
Fruits: Fruit a stalked, club-shaped capsule.
Comments:
Height: 1-3 ft.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Rhizomatous, colonial perennial of shallow water in river and stream beds.
stems: Stems mostly simple, smooth, often rooting at nodes.
leaves: Leaves opposite and ascending, sessile or short petiolate, narrowly elliptic and tapering to a long wedge-like base, to 5 or more in. long, margins entire.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers in dense, short spikes arising from upper leaf axils, in opposite pairs on the spike; white to pale violet-pink; bilaterally symmetric and tubular, but deeply cleft into 4-5 parts, the upper lip recurved and lower lip 3-lobed, marked with purple.
fruits: Fruit a stalked, club-shaped capsule.
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: eastern North America
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