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Savanna Meadow Beauty

Rhexia alifanus (REKS-ee-uh)

Family: Melastomataceae Native

Savanna Meadow Beauty is a native perennial wildflower with showy pink flowers found from NC south to FL and west to TX. In NC it is found on the coast and coastal plains. The pink flowers are showy with a long bloom season. It prefers full sun and moist, acidic, sandy soil. It can be grown in pool or bog gardens and makes an excellent companion plant for carnivorous plants. It will also tolerate dryer sites but soil must be kept moist. Habitat: Pine flatwoods and savannas, pocosin borders, more able to tolerate merely moist soils than other Rhexia species

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 50 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Native Plant
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are opposite, sessile, lanceolate to elliptic in outline, with entire margins.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Purplish pink 4-petaled flowers with 8 conspicuous stamens topped by bright yellow anthers. Blooms in panicles from May to September.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is an upright vase-shaped capsule with numerous seeds. Displays from July to October.
Stem color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Stem detail
Smooth yellow-green stems up to 4 feet tall
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southeastern and central U.S.A.
Distribution
AL , FL , GA , LA , MS , NC , SC , TX
Wildlife value
This plant attracts bumblebees.
Attracts
Bees
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Pond; Riparian
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Rain Garden; Water Garden
Garden tags
#native perennial #NC native #native wildflower #Piedmont Mountains FACW #food source pollen #bumblebee friendly #food source summer #Coastal FACW #food source fall #Audubon #long bloom time #moist soil #showy flowers #water garden #bee friendly #boggy sites

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.