Swampbush – Pavonia paludicola

General Landscape Uses: Screen, container Ecological Restoration Notes: Endangered in Florida. Description: An evergreen, multi-stemmed shrub with large, velvety, heart-shaped leaves and pale yellow, nodding flowers. Dimensions: Height 4 – 8 ft.; Spread 4-  6 ft. Growth Rate: Moderate to fast Native Range: Rare in South Florida (Miami-Dade, Monroe, Collier counties), the West Indies, Central, and South America. Native Habitats: Coastal swamps, mangrove margins, and brackish marshes Soils: Poorly-drained Nutritional Requirements: Low Salt Water Tolerance: Moderate Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate Drought Tolerance: Low Light Requirements: Full to part sun Flower Color: Greenish-yellow Flower Characteristics: 1-inch long, bell-shaped flowers that hang downward. Unlike many Hibiscus relatives, the petals don’t spread wide, giving them a “sleeping” appearance. Flowering Season: All year Fruit: A small, dry, 5-lobed capsule (schizocarp) that splits when ripe Wildlife and Ecology: A major draw for hummingbirds and sulfur butterflies. The dense foliage provides excellent nesting cover for marsh birds. Horticultural Notes: Grown from seed, cuttings, air layering Comments: