Crocanthemum nashii

Crocanthemum nashii
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Cistaceae
Genus:	Crocanthemum
Species:	C. nashii
Binomial name
Crocanthemum nashii (Britton) Barnhart [2]

Crocanthemum nashii (commonly called Florida scrub sunrose, Nash's sunrose, and Florida scrub frostweed) ^[2] is a species of plant endemic to the U.S. southeast coastal plain from Florida, where it is most common, to North Carolina. ^[1]

Blooming in remnant of white sand scrub

Habitat

This species belongs to the deep-sanded, fire-dependent habitats of Florida scrub and xeric pine sandhill. ^[1]

Range

It was once thought to be endemic only to Florida but recent analysis of crowd-sourced photographic evidence and herbarium specimens has shown its range to extend further north. There are an estimated 100 to 200 populations in Florida, 8 in South Carolina, 5 in North Carolina, and 2 in Georgia. ^[1]

Sprouting up through pine duff in fire-suppressed scrub

Conservation

Due to its specific habitat requirements, the species is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation due to wildfire suppression and development for real estate and agriculture. ^[1]

It is state listed S3 (vulnerable) in Florida and S1 (critically imperiled) in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. ^[1]

References

1. "Crocanthemum nashii (Florida Scrub Frostweed)". NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
2. "Crocanthemum nashii – Species Details". Atlas of Florida Plants. Retrieved 2022-01-07.