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West Indian Meadow-beauty

Rhexia cubensis

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in wet meadows; swamps; ponds, lakes and their shores; pine savannas; roadsides, fields and disturbed ground. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

43
Good

Native to Louisiana (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
Up to about 2 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Moist to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
June to September

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 5 Louisiana parishes.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 5

Wet meadows

Open, wet, grassy or sedgy ground that is not a bog.

Swamps

Forested wetlands with standing water much of the year, such as cypress and gum swamps.

Ponds, lakes and their shores

Still water and its edges: ponds, lakes, millponds and reservoirs.

Pine savannas

Open, fire-kept longleaf pine stands over grasses and wildflowers on wet to moist sandy soil.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food. 93 animals.

All wildlife of Louisiana

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

6CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · Rhexia

  • Chloridea subflexaSubflexus Straw, Groundcherry Sun Moth
  • Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
  • Cymatophora approximariaLarge Scalloped-Wing, Giant Grey
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Scopula limboundataLarge Lace-Border
  • Xanthotype rufariaRufous Geometer
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
8BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Rhexia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Melastomataceae
Flower color
Pink or purple

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

West Indian Meadow beauty

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNR
Global rankG4G5
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources