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Partridge-berry

Mitchella repens

Found in deciduous and coniferous forests, stream-banks, heath balds, maritime forests, on rotten logs and hummocks in bottomlands and other wetter habitats. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

12
Modest

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
1–3 inches
Spread
12–16 inches
Light
Deep shade, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 1 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 100 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Evergreen
Bloom
May to July
Fruiting season
June to July

Recorded in 51 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Forests and woodlands

Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain.
Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Maritime forests and thickets

Salt-pruned forests and shrub thickets behind coastal dunes.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 147 animals.

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

0CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Mitchella

  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Rubiaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Pink or white
Fruit begins
June
Fruit ends
July

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “May to July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Flower color · “Pink or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
  • Fruit begins · “June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Fruit ends · “July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
  • Height · “1–3 inches” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
  • Leaves · “Evergreen” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
  • Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Deep shade (less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia Cooperative Extension, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ)
  • Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ)
  • Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Spread · “12–16 inches” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
Also known as

Partridge Berry

Conservation status

Florida rankS4S5
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources