Salt & Pepper

Melanthera nivea

Size: 1 & 3 Gallon Availability

Flower
Max size: 5-6′ tall x 4′ wide
Average size: 3′ tall x 3′ wide

Usually Moist, Moist to Dry, Very Dry
Loam, Lime rock, Sand, Clay
Sun, Part Shade
Salt Tolerance: Low; some tolerance of salty wind but not salt spray

AKA: Snow Squarestem, Cat’s tongue, Nonpareil

Besides the neat leaf shape, the plant is prized for its flowers. They are heavily used by butterflies, skippers, bees, and wasps for nectar; one of our favorite generalist pollinator plants. Specifically, it’s a larval host plant for the Florida White (Appias drusilla). It has unique white flowers tipped in black, and blooms from summer through fall. In some locations, it can bloom almost year-round and never truly go dormant for winter (this is typically in coastal areas or tropical micro-climates). (1)

The plant frequently returns from root stock after dying back to the ground in winter. However, they also re-seed. They take well to pruning; prune as often as once a week or as rarely as never depending on your needs. It will bloom more prolificially in full sun, but can adapt to shadier locations.

Did you know that the S-n-P plant is tough enough to withstand volcanic acid rain? It’s certainly tough enough to withstand Florida summers!