Coastalplain Palafox

The Backwoods sandhill is awash with wildflowers right now. Some are large and showy, while others tuck themselves away just waiting to be found. Coastalplain Palafox (Palafoxia integrifolia) is the latter; even though it's fairly tall and full of blooms, it seems to get overshadowed by the bigger groups nearby, perhaps because it's not growing in quite such abundance. It's a fascinating flower, though, and definitely deserves a closer look.

Coastalplain Palafox is one of two Palafox species found in Florida; the other is Feay's Palafox (Palafoxia feayi). A close look at the two blooms will help you tell them apart. Both have the same clusters of tubular blooms, but P. feayi lacks the extra "frilly" petals that emerge from the base of the bloom head (click here to see a picture). In the close-up below, you can see that Coastalplain Palafox has these petals, making it fairly easy to tell the two species apart.

As you might guess from the clustered bloom heads, Palafox is a member of the Aster family (Asteraceae). Coastalplain Palafox is native to Florida and some parts of Georgia, and grows in upland habitats with well-drained soil and lots of sun. The blooms appear in the fall and range in color from almost pure white to a rosy pink; they're a draw for butterflies and other pollinators. It's a nice addition to a fall wildflower garden, though it may be quite difficult to find for sale. If someone you know happens to have some on their property, try collecting the seeds in late fall (don't collect seeds from private property or parks, please!).

What's in a Name?
The Palafoxia genus is named for José Rebolledo de Palafox, Duke of Saragossa, who fought in Mexico for Spain against the French in the early 1800s. Whether he himself actually discovered the plant is unknown; he may simply have been a friend or patron of the botanist who first described it, Thomas Nuttall.

The species name integrifolia means "undivided leaves". The leaves of this wildflower are simple, and grow alternately along the stem of the plant.