Florida Hammock Milkpea
Galactia striata
- Native to:
- Andaman Is., Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman Is., Central African Republic, China, Christmas I., Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, El Salvador, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gabon, Galápagos, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Hainan, Haiti, Honduras, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jawa, Kenya, Leeward Is., Lesser Sunda Is., Madagascar, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Navassa Island, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Guinea, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Réunion, South Africa, Southwest Caribbean, Sri Lanka, Sudan-South Sudan, Sulawesi, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Windward Is., Yemen, Zimbabwe
iNaturalist: © yalinglin (iNaturalist #14642048)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Galactia
- Species:
- Galactia striata
- USDA Symbol:
- GAST2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Vine
- Height:
- 100 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul,aug,sep,oct
- 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
Zestos skipper (Epargyreus zestos)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from rootstock following fire. Common in fire-maintained pine flatwoods and sandhills.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to coastal regions with sandy soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Scarification of the hard seed coat improves germination rates significantly. Seeds benefit from brief cold stratification.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI