Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ericaceae

Genus:

Gaylussacia

Species:

Gaylussacia frondosa

USDA Symbol:

GAFR2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

180 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

may,jun

Bloom Colors:

white, pink

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Caterpillars:

★★☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Reported Fauna Sightings

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals

Fall Color:

red, purple

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from rhizomes following fire. Common in fire-maintained pine barrens and oak savannas.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil

pH:

4.5 - 6.0 (acidic to slightly acidic)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers habitats like bogs and pine barrens

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Seeds require cold stratification and acidic conditions. Germination can be erratic.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI