PlantFiles: Red Porterweed, Pink Snakeweed
Stachytarpheta mutabilis

Pink porterweed is a robust South American species that can reach 6' tall and 8' wide or more. It's correctly called Stachytarpheta mutabilis var. mutabilis, but there is a violet-flowered variety in the nursery trade called S. mutabilis var. violacea. The red-flowered species that only grows to about 3' tall is S. miniacea, native to Mexico and Honduras. There is much confusion about what is native to Florida, and it's already been noted by someone else that the only Florida native species is S. jamaicensis, which is a blue-flowered low-growing species with mostly horizontal stems and coarsely toothed leaves. Another blue-flowered species in the nursery trade has deep blue flowers and attains a height of about 5' with dark green leaves that have a quilted appearance. It is correctly called S. cayennensis, but is often referred to by the botanical synonym S. urticifolia. It not only has been erroneously sold as a Florida native, it has also been reported erroneously as being native to the Old World. There are no Old World members of this genus.

It's interesting to note that S. jamaicensis and S. cayennensis flowers last only part of a day, while S. mutabilis flowers last for several days each. All members of this genus are superb attractors of butterflies, but S. mutabilis (both pink and violet varieties) is a favorite of hummingbirds as well.

Actually this is the regular Rare Pink Porterweed. There is a red one that is a dwarf of this Pink but the flower is red.

There have been many publications and plant nurseries claiming that Stachytarpheta mutabilis is native to Florida. Stachytarpheta mutabilis is actually native to South America, not Florida. The only native 'porterweed' is Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, which only has blue/purple flowers. There is not a pink variety of Stachytarpheta jamaicensis.

This amazing plant grows very fast in gardens on the east coast of South Africa. It is perpetually in bloom and attracts large numbers of bumble bees, honey bees, butterflies and birds - outdoing even the pentas. It is best grown in clusters to avoid that leggy look and once established is a colourful addition to the garden requiring little maintenance. I have both pink and purple ones but have difficulty in telling the varieties of stachytarpheta apart since s. mutabilis, s. urticifolia and s.cayennensis are so similar.

I planted 7 of these in a partial shade area of my backyard. I now have 13 from the "babies" as I call them. I've also given several I've grown from the babies to friends. The ones I planted originally 2 years ago grow to at least 6 ft. tall. I cut them back in the early spring. They are one of my favorite plants, very low maintenance. I have the purple or blue variety. I'm very interested in obtaining different colors. I've only seen the purple ones in our local nurseries or garden centers. Does anyone know where I might obtain different colors? I live in Brandon Florida. I was very pleased to discover it is a Florida native as I'm trying to eliminate any non native and invasive plants from the many plants I have in our very large backyard.

Great plant I was fairly dissappointed by its not returning I guess it is not an perennial here in zone 7, and we even had a extra mild winter, and it was mulched very well. I did save some seeds though and I am going to give it a try in some pots next week.
Great for hummingbirds and butterflies, even for one season it is very rewarding.
The seeds are inside the long tubular florer stalks that are left on the bush. They are thinner than a grain of rice and dark colored.

2005 came back like a champ from the seeds I collected, fed the hummers and butterflies all summer and way into the fall. I love this plant and will try it again later in the garden, I did not get to collect seeds in 2005, for 2006