Agalinis
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ag-uh-LIN-us
- Description
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The agalinus genus contains seventy species which are spread across North, Central, and South America. Purple Gerardia is a perennial wildflower found in damp acidic soil in thickets and boggy sites. It is a wildlife plant supporting bees and butterflies.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- Agalinis purpurea
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- Agalinis purpurea
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Agalinis
- Family:
- Orobanchaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North, Central, and South America.
- Wildlife Value:
- Members of the genus Agalinus support butterfly larvae and adults. Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) larvae appear from May to October and in the deep south they appear year-round. Common Buckeye adult butterflies feed on flower nectar. Members of the genus Agalinis support the following specialized bee: Anthophorula (Anthophorisca) micheneri, Leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.). Syrphid flies feed on pollen.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Food Source
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Perennial
- Wildflower
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Tiny, shiny, globular capsule with many seeds
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Solitary
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- fused petals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- 1-in., pink-purple, bell-shaped with five rounded lobes, downy flowers in leaf axis; dark spots in throat; very short flower stalk
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Paired linear leaves, 1 to 1.5 in. long; smaller leaves clustered in the axils
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Specialized Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Wet Soil
