Houstonia purpurea
A North American native perennial in the Rubiaceae with broad distribution across the United States, grows on rocky or sandy soils in part sun to light shade, reaches about 6–8 inches tall, and blooms in spring with white to pale purple tubular flowers, typically in moist open rocky woods, rock inclines, and along stream banks.
Common Names
Large Houstonia, Venus' Pride, Mountain Houstonia, Large Bluet
Summary
Houstonia purpurea is a perennial herb in the Rubiaceae family native to the eastern United States, growing about 0.1–0.3 m tall from a fibrous-rooted base with stems often pubescent on the lower parts; leaves are opposite, sessile or subsessile, and elliptic to lance-oblong; flowers appear in terminal cymes and are white to pale purple, with a funnel-shaped corolla and a bilobed fruit capsule. It prefers full shade to partial sun and moist loamy soils, occurring in moist woods, rocky woods, slopes, and along streams in the eastern U.S. Blooms from May to August. The plant is short-lived but can re-seed, making it suitable for native landscape plantings and habitat-oriented plantings; it is sometimes available from wildflower nurseries.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4-8 inches
Spread
12-18 inches
Sunlight Requirements
Full Sun to Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Rocky soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Soil pH
Moderately acidic to slightly acidic soil.
Bloom Color
White to deep lavender
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer
Foliage Color
Green or purplish
Leaf Lifecycle
Other
Growth Rate
Moderate
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees and butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl. : 105 (1753)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Gentianales
- Family
- Rubiaceae
- Genus
- Houstonia
Inferior Taxa
Houstonia purpurea var. montana Houstonia purpurea var. calycosa Houstonia purpurea var. purpurea
Synonyms
Anotis purpurea Oldenlandia purpurea Chamisme purpurea Hedyotis purpurea Houstonia purpurea f. purpurea Knoxia purpurea Knoxia purpurea