Snow Squarestem
Melanthera nivea
Snow Squarestem is normally under two feet tall. The small white flowers are showy, yet a bit sparse. They make up for this by the number of butterflies that they attract. The small seeds are likely used by seed eating birds.
Dry or moist soil in full sun will produce a compact plant that lasts for at least a year. Some self seeding will occur, yet it is well behaved.
Snow Squarestem grows throughout all of Florida up the East Coast to Illinois. It can take moderate salt air but no salt water flooding. It is very drought tolerant once established.
This plant makes a nice mix with the blue flowered key’s Porterweed, Salvia, Southern Beebalm, Gaillardia, Pineland Petunia, Seaside Goldenrod, Beach or Tampa Verbena and other low, bunching flowers, grasses and ferns. Use it as a component of a pineland planting where Beautyberry, Saw Palmetto, low grasses and other pineland plants are used.
There are other taller, up to six feet tall, or shorter local species including the 10 inch tall, mounding, Everglades Squarestem, which is also called Pineland Blackanthers. This little plant has lots of flowers and attracts many butterflies. It lasts a year or more and requires a longer period of watering before becoming fully established. Click for more info.
There are moderate numbers of Snow Squarestem out in western Palm Beach County. Look for it in our natural areas. Down in the Keys, I have noticed a six foot tall form with three inch leaves that is weedy looking, but attracts many butterflies.
In the pinelands, the 10 inch tall Pineland Blackanthers is found among Chapman’s Cassia, Pineland Snowberry, Quailberry, Porterweed, Locustberry and Beach Creeper along the edges of larger and within smaller solution holes.
A thorough knowledge of Rockland plants will give you unique ideas for landscaping.