Blue Porterweed | Stachytarpheta jamaicensis | The REAL Porterweed | Florida Native Groundcover

Beware the imposter Porterweed found at too many nurseries, claiming it's native. Our native porterweed does not get much taller than 12", whereas the Category II invasive S. cayennensis gets very tall. It is hybridizing with the native and has escaped cultivation, and is VERY weedy. Avoid at all costs! I have even seen native nurseries confusing the native with the invasive. Buy from trusted sources! The native is a low growing sprawler, and, it's EDIBLE! The name Porterweed comes from the foamy action of the dried leaves boiled into a tea - like a foamy beer. The raw leaves and flowers are edible and have a mushroom like taste. 

Fast growing, salt tolerant, spreading. Excellent ground cover! The young plants in 4" pots are already flowering prolifically. Full sun, low water requirements after establishing. Blooms year round; blueish purple spires. 

AMAZING pollinator. Host plant of the Tropical buckeye (Junonia evarete) and is a nectar source for many butterfly species including the Clouded skipper (Lerema accius), Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and Julia (Dryas iulia).

These are seed grown, 100% native plants in 4" or 1 gallon, shipped in careful wrapping.