Blodgett's Silverbush

Undetermined, but likely a short-lived perennial, less than 10 years, that is capable of resprouting from underground reserves after fire.

Plants flower and produce seeds all year, peaking from March to June. The fruit is a three-parted capsule holding three round black seeds. Mature fruits display ballistic dispersal, flinging seeds roughly one foot from the parent. It likely forms persistent seed banks. It recruits prolifically from seed following storm surge events.

Occurs in sunny openings in pine rocklands, rockland hammocks, and coastal berms, including roadsides and cleared areas of Monroe and Miami-Dade counties.

Blodgett’s silverbush is a semi-woody shrub up to 3 feet tall with small, inconspicuous green flowers. Oval, slightly hairy leaves with veins branch from the base. Multiple green, unbranched stems also often sprout from the woody base. Leaves and stems turn a deep metallic blue when broken.

Blodgett’s silverbush’s inconspicuous flowers lack petals and have leafy bracts beneath the flowers, distinguishing the species from most other forbs of similar size. When sterile, leaf venation helps one to distinguish, but sterile plants are often overlooked. Leaves of croton have silvery scales, stalked glands, or star-shaped hairs.