Beach-creeper, Golden-creeper, Coughbush – Ernodea littoralis

General Landscape Uses: Groundcover in dry, open areas, mostly along the coast. Wildflower and rock gardens. Ecological Restoration Notes: A relatively common element of coastal uplands along both coasts. Probably not present in pine rocklands in southern Miami-Dade County, where the critically imperiled E. cokeri occurs, except on Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park. Description: Small sprawling shrub, woody at the base. Leaves clustered toward the ends of the stems, bright glossy yellowish-green, about 1-1 1/2 inches long. Dimensions: About 1-3 feet in height. Rooting from stems touching the ground and becoming much broader than tall. Growth Rate: Moderate. Range: Monroe County Keys north along the coasts to Volusia, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; West Indies, Mexico and Central America. Rare on the east coast north of Martin County. Habitats: Coastal thickets throughout South Florida and pine rocklands on Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park and in the Florida Keys. Soils: Moist to seasonally wet, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus. Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. Salt Wind Tolerance: Secondary line; tolerates significant salt wind without injury, but usually is somewhat protected. Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established. Light Requirements: Full sun. Flower Color: Pinkish-white or white. Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy, about 1/2″ long. Flowering Season: All year. Fruit: Round golden-yellow berry containing a single seed, in dense clusters. All year; peak winter-spring. Wildlife and Ecology: Provides food for birds. Horticultural Notes: Primarily grown from cuttings under mist. Comments: An excellent groundcover in open, dry sites along the coast.