Frostweed

Description

Botanical Name:    Verbesina virginica

Common Name:    Frostweed, White Crownbeard, Virginia Crownbeard, Indian Tobacco, Iceplant

Description:    This is the super cool Florida native perennial that in icy weather the water in the stems turns all kinds of funky frozen shapes. How fun is that! Why, you ask, does it do that?? Well, each stem has flanges on it. When winter freezing weather happens, the water in the stems pops out of the flanges then freezes into those frost flowers. I’ve only seen pictures of the frost flowers, so I’m hoping the frostweed I plant in my personal garden gives me some frost flowers to ohh and ahh over this winter.

The very pretty white flowers with purplish/black anthers bloom late summer through fall, sometimes into early winter if the weather stays warm.

Per the Florida Wildflower Foundation:  “Its leaves are dark green with rough surfaces and toothed margins and are oppositely arranged. Its stem is distinctive in that it has wing-like flanges running along its length.”

This is a long-lived perennial that quickly grows 4 – 6 feet tall. Definitely a back of the border plant. Plant it in the part shade or shade area of your garden that have moist soil and it will grow to its glorious full height. Plant it in sun or part sun and a drier area in your garden, and it will stay more compact and bloom more. Which simply means, it’s pretty versatile as to where it grows. Keep in mind it does like to reseed itself and it spreads by rhizomes. Grows just fine in well drained to moist clay, loamy, or sandy soils. Is somewhat drought tolerant after becoming established.

Its natural habitat is in moist forest and hammock edges. It can take occasional flooding, which means it’ll do good in your rain garden.

It is an important nectar/pollen source for native bees, honey bees, butterflies (including Monarchs), and other pollinators who are attracted to its flowers. It is a host plant for the Summer Azure, Bordered Patch, and Silvery Checkerspot butterflies. It is also highly deer resistant.

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low to no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray.

This plant in 4″ containers is 2 – 10 inches tall.

Plant Lore:  Native Americans dried the leaves to use it as tobacco. They also used it for various medicinal purposes.

Florida Hardiness Zones 8 – 11