Wild Tantan
Desmanthus virgatus
- Native to:
- Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman Is., Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Galápagos, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, United States, Uruguay, Venezuelan Antilles, Virgin Islands, Windward Is.
iNaturalist: © linaceae (iNaturalist #86782696)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Desmanthus
- Species:
- Desmanthus virgatus
- USDA Symbol:
- DEVI3
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Subshrub
- Height:
- 200 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- white, cream
Wildlife Benefits
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals, butterflies
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from rootstock following fire; adapted to grassland and savanna fire regimes.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 8.0 (slightly acidic to alkaline)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- Adapted to arid and semi-arid regions
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Mechanical scarification or hot water treatment improves germination of hard-coated seeds. Seeds germinate readily in warm conditions after scarification.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Scarify, then cold-moist stratify for 60 days.
Notes: Seeds may benefit from scarification before stratification.
Source: Claude AI