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American Water-willow

Justicia americana

Found in river and stream beds, in shallow water, often rooted in rocky shallows. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

45
Good

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

Profile 100%

Height
About 2.5 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Moist to standing water
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Bloom
Late spring
Fruiting season
Spring to fall

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 5 Mississippi counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

9CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Justicia

  • Anthanassa texanaTexan Crescent
  • Argyrogramma verrucaGolden Looper
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Darapsa versicolorHydrangea Sphinx
  • Eudryas unioPearly Wood-Nymph
  • Ozarba aeriaAerial Brown
  • Phyciodes phaonPhaon Crescent, Crescentspot
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Anthanassa seminole
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
3BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Justicia

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
Acanthaceae
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Dark green
Fruit begins
Spring
Fruit ends
Fall

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

American Water Willow

Conservation status

Mississippi rankSNR
Global rankG5
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

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

Sources