Blooms all year. Recruits readily in the garden from seed. Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gardens.

Based on the BONAP range map, this species is a "near endemic" -- it occurs only in the panhandle and a 3 counties in southern Alabama. At this time, the Florida Plant Atlas shows two outlying collections.  One (Alachua County) appears to have been removed by the herbarium that "has" the specimen, the other (St. Lucie County) is a 1980 literature citation with apparently no specimen.   Neither is shown on our map. Bog gardens, sunny areas with moist soil.  Only likely to be noticed when blooming.

Despite the appearance of the county-based range map, the actual range is limited to the coastal areas. Wildflower garden. Groundcover.

Wild cotton is a rare plant; it needs protection against missuses and protection against removal from natural populations. Use as a short-lived "shrub". Dies back with freezing but will re-sprout from the roots. Use as a specimen plant.

Both the common and scientific genus names refer to the lizard-like shape of the drooping flower head. This is a wetland plant. It can form dense patches making good groundcover in wet areas.