Edible, very hot fruits , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds (especially mockingbirds) eat the green, un-ripened peppers. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits Attracts bees.

This species can be distinguished from related non-natives by its trailing stems and lance-shaped leaves. Stachytarpheta urticifolia, commonly sold by , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure t , Wildlife, Attracts  hummingbirds. , Habitat, Coastal strand, open areas in dry mesic hardwood forests, sometimes nestled under trees along sandy roadsides. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for tropical buckeye (Junonia genoveva) butterfly.  Nectar plant for many butterflies and moths including: Bahamian swallow

Specimen tree. Red to yellow in the fall. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Steep stream banks and ridges, hammocks, bluffs. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers Attracts bees and other pollinators.

The herbarium specimen from Polk County almost certainly has a wrong location.  Lithia is in Hillsborough County and the most likely translation of a , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. Birds and other small wildlife consume the seed (https://wildflower.org) , Habitat, Moist-wet areas, acid soils. Wet flatwoods, savannas, swamps, stream banks, bogs, other wet areas. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees which have evolved to take advantage of narrow, tubular flowers.

Host plant for Zestos Skipper butterfly which is believed to be extirpated (extinct) in FLorida. Also used by Cassius blue, longtailed skipper, and Za , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Scrambling vine likely best suited to informal settings. Individual stems may be up to 10 ft long. , Habitat, Hammocks , Did You Know?, Larval host plant for cassius blue (Leptotes cassius), long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus), zestos skipper (Epargyreus zestos) and zarucco duskywing