Polypremum procumbens
A small, low-growing perennial herb in the Tetrachondraceae family with a procumbent to ascending habit, opposite linear leaves, small white four-merous flowers in terminal leafy cymes, a loculicidal capsule bearing numerous tiny angular seeds, and a circular, spreading mat-forming growth in open disturbed sandy or dry habitats in the southeastern United States.
Common Names
Rustweed, Juniper Leaf
Summary
Polypremum procumbens is a perennial forb native to the southeastern United States, commonly called Juniper-leaf or Rustweed, it forms dense tufts of short, densely leafy, overwintering stems with spreading to loosely ascending branches up to 25 cm long, leaves are opposite, sessile and linear, slightly scabrid, flowers are small and white, four-lobed with a hairy throat, produced in clusters or solitary, fruit is a capsule 1.8–2.5 mm long, in fall, plants turn reddish-brown, a feature linked to the Rustweed name, it favors bright sun to partial shade and sandy, disturbed soils found in fields, pastures, roadsides, dunes, and pond margins, drought-tolerant and capable of propagation by seeds or division, it flowers from late May to November, it is used for erosion control and groundcover in landscaping but can be weedy and difficult to control with herbicides, seeds are tiny and can persist in seed banks, and cultivation benefits from well-drained soil
Lifecycle
Annual, Perennial
Height
12-18 inches
Spread
12-14 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-8
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full Sun. Tolerates Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Well-draining loamy soil that stays moist but not soggy, tolerates sandy soils
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil, preferably well-draining loamy soil with good drainage, tolerant of sandy soils
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Spring to early Winter
Foliage Color
Green, orange in fall, rusty orange-brown under extreme sun or drought, reddish-brown
Fall Foliage Color
Orange to reddish-brown
Leaf Lifecycle
Other
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees and butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl. : 111 (1753)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Tetrachondraceae
- Genus
- Polypremum
Synonyms
Veronica marilandica Hasslerella rojasii Polypremum linnaei Polypremum laxum Polypremum squarrosum Polypremum schlechtendahlii