Joyweed, Yellow Joyweed

 I had never heard of this cute little plant so had not considered it for purchase or acquisition until I was shopping for other plants at Native Butterfly Flowers last year.  Tim had just gotten back with a truck load of plants and was very excited about this plant, and infected me with his enthusiasm and "Joyweed".  So I added it to my purchases that day and put it in my butterfly garden.  

Of course, I immediately did some research on it and found very little information.  It was not listed in my native plant books, and I had trouble finding it on the internet until I discovered that it is actually named "Yellow Joyweed".   My search under "Joyweed" came up with Purple Joyweed, Brasilian Joyweed, and other Alternanthera plants.  Once I found the yellow joyweed that was a Florida Native plant, I was satisfied that I had found the right plant.

Here is the link where it is listed as a native Florida plant: 

https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Alteflav

That website states that it is a "Nectar plant for cassius blue (Leptotes cassius), great southern white (Ascia monuste), long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus), Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri), Schaus’ swallowtail (Papilio aristodemus ponceanus) and other butterflies."   

I planted it in the front of my butterfly garden and it has been sprawling somewhat like a lanky groundcover, but slow growing.  It has small white flowers that are blooming most of the year.  These flowers are similar in size and shape to the flowers that are on my Salt & Pepper bush that is planted about three feet behind the Joyweed.  These flowers are not quite as bright white as the Salt & Pepper bush flowers.

                                                            Alternanthera flavescens

These photos were taken in March 2022.