Rhexia lutea Walter

Yellow Meadow Beauty; Golden Meadow Beauty

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Yellow Meadow Beauty is a native herbaceous perennial in the Melastome family (Melastomataceae). It can be found in the southern third of Alabama. Yellow Meadow Beauty occurs in pitcher plant bogs, in shrub bogs, in wet pine savannas, in pine flatwoods, and in seeps. It is a perennial from a hardened crown. Each crown usually produces several stems. The stems are erect, green to reddish brown in color, four angled at mid-stem, pubescent, branched above the middle, and 1-1 ½ feet in height. Leaves are opposite, sessile or sub-sessile, spatulate or elliptic in outline, pubescent, and toothed. Flowers are produced in leafy cymes. Each flower has four golden yellow petals. The petals fall of easily, and individual flowers only last one day. The fruit is a capsule that is shaped like a vase with a short neck. Yellow Meadow Beauty is available from some wildflower nurseries, and is easily grown from seed. It can be grown in a bog garden or rain garden. It prefers partial sun and organic soil that is constantly moist.—A. Diamond

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Native FACW+ (NWPL)

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