Native Plants
Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.
Scaevola plumieri
Scaevola plumieri (L.) Vahl
Gullfeed, Inkberry
Goodeniaceae (Goodenia Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: SCPL
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), PR (N), VI (N)
This stout, succulent shrub ranges from 1-6 ft. in height. The succulent stems are sometimes trailing, forming dense clumps. Glossy, dark-green leaves are thick and fleshy appearing mostly in rosettes at branch tips. White flowers, borne in small clusters among the leaves, are followed by smooth, black fruit.
From the Image Gallery
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Fruit Type: Drupe
Size Notes: Up to about 6 feet tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: WhiteBloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec
Distribution
USA: FL , LA , TXNative Distribution: S. FL coast; also the coasts of Bermuda, West Indies, Yucatan & Baja CA
Native Habitat: Sandy beaches; coastal dunes
Growing Conditions
Light Requirement: Part ShadeSoil Description: Sandy soil.
Conditions Comments: A hardy seaside plant. The Scaevola species commonly used by the landscape industry is Scaevola frutescens. It is native to Australia and differs from the native variety in that it is larger and has lighter green leaves.
Propagation
Description: Can be grown from seed which germinates in about six weeks. Trailing stems, which have rooted in the sand, can be detaching and transplanted.Commercially Avail: yes
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FACU | UPL | FAC |
Bibliography
Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic BotanyWebref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Research Literature
Reslit 515 - Biomass reallocation and the mobilization of leaf resources support dune plant growth after sand burial (2008) M. E. Gilbert and B. S. RipleyReslit 514 - The growth responses of coastal dune species are determined by nutrient limitation and sand burial (2008) M. Gilbert, N. Pammenter and B. Ripley
Reslit 761 - Reproductive phenology of Scaevola plumieri; a key coloniser of the coastal foredunes of South Africa (2004) I. C. Knevel and R. A. Lubke
Reslit 1081 - Environmental limits to the distribution of Scaevola plumieri along the South African coast (2003) C. I. Peter, B. S. Ripley and M. P. Robertson
Reslit 1940 - A preliminary study of the phenology of Scaevola plumieri (1986) T. D. Steinke and G. Lambert
Reslit 1994 - An empirical formula for estimating the water use of Scaevola plumieri (2000) C. I. Peter and B. S. Ripley
Reslit 2003 - Photosynthesis and transpiration of the subtropical coastal sand dune pioneer Scaevola plumieri under controlled conditions (1985) N. W. Pammenter
Reslit 2472 - Arbuscular mycorrhizas in coastal sand dunes of the Paraguana Peninsula, Venezuela (2005) C. Alarcon and G. Cuenca
Reslit 2516 - The genetic diversity of Scaevola plumieri (Goodeniaceae), an indigenous dune coloniser, as revealed by inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) fingerprinting (2003) N. P. Barker, K. T. Harman, B. S. Ripley and J. Bo...
This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
Search More Titles in Research Literature
Additional resources
USDA: Find Scaevola plumieri in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Scaevola plumieri in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Scaevola plumieri
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-02-27Research By: TWC Staff