Sweetscent
Pluchea odorata
- Native to:
- Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Cayman Is., Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Mexico, Navassa Island, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panamá, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, United States, Windward Is.
Wintertanager J.T. Storey (jtstorey.blogspot.com)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Pluchea
- Species:
- Pluchea odorata
- USDA Symbol:
- PLOD
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual | Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Subshrub
- Height:
- 200 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- jul,aug,sep,oct,nov
- Bloom Colors:
- pink, purple
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★★☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Bucculatrix plucheae, Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae), Eublemma minima, Oidaematophorus lienigianus, southern emerald (Synchlora frondaria), Unadilla floridensis
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- butterflies, bees, birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, moist, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- commonly found in wetlands and marshy areas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination; surface sow and do not cover.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI