Phyla incisa Sawtooth frog-fruit ,Phyla nodiflora Common frog-fruit, Turkey tangle - Verbenaceae, Vervain or Verbena Family
DESCRIPTION: Low growing, mat-forming, sprawling, or trailing ground cover
Height: From 2 to 8 inches (sun);
P. incisa taller than P. nodiflora.
Flowers: Very small, white, borne in 1/4 to 3/8 inch wide heads. Spring to fall
Fruit: Small, inconspicuous dry nut
Foliage: Evergreen, light green, 1 inch long, 1/2 inch wide, toothed leaf edges. P. nodiflora leaves are broader with teeth widely spaced over most of the leaf edge.
Growth rate: Fast
REQUIREMENTS:
Sun: Full sun, dappled shade
Soil: Any, will tolerate heavy clay soils
Drainage: Good to poorly drained soil
Water: Medium to high
Maintenance: Little needed
Propagation: Seeds, root divisions
NATIVE HABITAT: Along roads, openings and waste places in the Rio Grande Plains and the Coastal Prairies
WILDLIFE USE: White-tailed deer, javelinas, feral pigs and cattle eat the leaves. Food for White Peacock and Phaon Crescent butterfly caterpillars, and nectar for small butterflies.
COMMENTS: The first emergent nectar for most species of butterflies in the Lower Rio Grande Valley after the 1983 and 1989 freezes.
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