Botany Butterfly Farming Endangered Species English Gardening Horticulture Larval Host Plants Sweet-Scented Pigeonwings (Clitoria fragrans)

The Sweet-Scented Pigeonwings (Clitoria fragrans) of Florida’s Lake Wales Ridge

Preferred Ecology

Clitoria fragrans prefers well-drained sandy soils often associated with scrub habitats. This miniature tree is well-adapted to the xeric conditions of the Lake Wales Ridge. It thrives in an environment featuring a rich diversity of plant species such as Longleaf Pine, Saw Palmetto, and Scrub Oaks. These plant species often serve as shade for Sweet-Scented Pigeonwings, and to help germinate new recruits.

A new recruit from seeds likely dropped in deer scat. Note the woody stem. Sweet-Scented Pigeonwings are not quite a vine.

Clitoria fragrans appears to be unaffected by the abundance of oak leaf litter on the Lake Wales Ridge, which can inhibit fires and acidify the soil, making it less hospitable for other plants.

Clitoria fragrans in heavy oak leaf litter, which has suppressed many other species.

Range

The Sweet-Scented Pigeonwings is endemic to Florida and most common on the Lake Wales Ridge.

Though its range extends to other parts of Florida, it is most abundant in this ancient sandy ridge system, which is a relic of prehistoric shorelines.

The Lake Wales Ridge is like a beach with no ocean, and a lot more interesting plants.

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