Introduction

Dyschoriste oblongifolia is a rounded plant that attains a height of 6 to 12 inches. It is commonly used in the landscape as a ground cover and has pretty flowers that are quite striking when closely observed. Twinflower, as the name implies, has paired lavender flowers that occur throughout the year; the heaviest bloom is in May. These plants have a relatively open habit and should be closely spaced in order to cover an area effectively.

General Information

Scientific name: Dyschoriste oblongifolia

Pronunciation: diss-kor-RISS-tee ob-long-if-FOLE-ee-uh

Common name(s): twinflower

Family: Acanthaceae

Plant type: herbaceous; ground cover

USDA hardiness zones: 8 through 11 (Fig. 1)

Planting month for zone 8: year round

Planting month for zone 9: year round

Planting month for zone 10 and 11: year round

Origin: native to Florida

Uses: ground cover

Availability: grown in small quantities by a small number of nurseries

Description

Height: .5 to 1 feet

Spread: depends upon supporting structure

Plant habit: round

Plant density: open

Growth rate: fast

Texture: fine

Foliage

Leaf arrangement: unknown

Leaf type: simple

Leaf margin: unknown

Leaf shape: unknown

Leaf venation: unknown

Leaf type and persistence: evergreen

Leaf blade length: unknown

Leaf color: green

Fall color: no fall color change

Fall characteristic: not showy

Flower

Flower color: lavender

Flower characteristic: year-round flowering

Fruit

Fruit shape: no fruit

Fruit length: no fruit

Fruit cover: no fruit

Fruit color: not applicable

Fruit characteristic: inconspicuous and not showy

Trunk and Branches

Trunk/bark/branches: not applicable

Current year stem/twig color: not applicable

Current year stem/twig thickness: not applicable

Culture

Light requirement: plant grows in part shade/part sun

Soil tolerances: acidic; sand; slightly alkaline; loam; clay

Drought tolerance: high

Soil salt tolerances: poor

Plant spacing: 24 to 36 inches

Other

Roots: not applicable

Winter interest: no special winter interest

Outstanding plant: not particularly outstanding

Invasive potential: not known to be invasive

Pest resistance: no serious pests are normally seen on the plant

Use and Management

The twinflower will grow well on acidic, well-drained, sandy soils and prefers a sunny or partially shaded location in the landscape. This ground cover is native to pineland areas in the southeastern United States and will tolerate considerable drought.