Skyflower
It attracts bees, but there’s little nectar for butterflies.
By LYNN ARTZ, SANDY TEDDER and DAVID RODDENBERRY
Skyflower (Hydrolea corymbosa) is a wetland wildflower with brilliant blue flowers and vibrant orange pollen. The eye-catching flowers open in the morning and mainly attract the bees that self-pollinate them. Butterflies are infrequent visitors as skyflower blooms offer little nectar. Found almost exclusively in Florida, skyflower is broadly distributed across the state. Its foliage tends to be overlooked until the stunning blooms appear in late summer and fall. This 1-2-foot-tall perennial grows naturally in freshwater marshes, swamps, ponds, ditches, and wet pine flatwoods. It is planted mainly in habitat restorations. When commercially available, skyflower adds a burst of color to sunny, moist-to-wet wildflower gardens and will slowly spread by suckering. Skyflower is blooming now in the pond at Sopchoppy Depot Park.