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Loganiaceae
Indian Pink
Spigelia marilandica
Woodland jewel.
- Family
- Loganiaceae
- Genus
- Spigelia
- Native to
- Southeastern United States
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- perennial herb
- Height
- 1-2 ft
- Sunlight
- part shade to full shade
- Soil
- moist, humus-rich, well-drained, acidic
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 5-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The tubular flowers are brilliant scarlet-red on the outside and vivid yellow-green inside — when the flower opens, the color contrast is dazzling, almost artificial in appearance.
- It is one of the most sought-after native perennials in American horticulture, coveted for its exotic appearance despite being perfectly cold-hardy and shade-tolerant.
- The plant contains toxic alkaloids including spigeline, which was historically used as an anthelmintic (worm-expelling medicine) — Cherokee and other peoples used root preparations.
- Hummingbirds are its exclusive pollinators; the tubular flowers are perfectly sized to admit a hovering ruby-throated hummingbird but exclude most insects.
- It was named by the botanist Thomas Walter in honor of Adriaan van der Spiegel, a 17th-century Flemish anatomist and botanist who worked in Padua.
Color meanings
0
hidden beauty
1
precision
2
native spirit