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Alabama Indian Pink

Spigelia alabamensis (spy-GHEE-lee-ah al-a-ba-MEN-sis)

Family: Loganiaceae Unknown Herbaceous

Alabama Indian Pink is native to Alabama. In the wild, it is only found in a handful of locations within Bibb County, Alabama. It has been classified as endangered. In these few locations, it will be found growing in open areas of woodlands, i.e. glades, where dolostone is present. Dolostone is a fine-grained rock that contain the mineral dolomite, which is a type of limestone. The decline in the population of this plant is the result of loss of habit and by alteration of the site land. Contributing to this decline are clear-cutting, thinning of surrounding woodlands, reduction of controlled burns, land conversion from woodlands to pine plantations, and development. Once a thriving species in Florida, it has all but disappeared. Efforts to help the revival of this endangered species has been started and continues. This plant grows in partial shade to full sun and would be a good addition to a rock garden.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 44 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Echinacea purpurea 'Sombrero Salsa Red' Verbena canadensis Zephyranthes candida

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Wildflower
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Shallow Rocky
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Slow
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves form in pairs and sit at right angles to the next set of leaves. They do not have stalks. The lower leaves and small and rounded, while the upper leaves take on an oval to lance shape.
Flower color
Pink
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Under 1", the pale pink flowers sit erect at the top of the stem. Each flower has 5 lobes.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit detail
The fruits have 2 round lobes that are surrounded by the dried sepals.
Stem detail
Each plant will have 1 to 3 erect stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Alabama
Distribution
Alabama
Play value
Attractive Flowers
Food & Medicine

Uses (ethnobotany)

Rock garden

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Woodland
Landscape theme
Rock Garden
Garden tags
#rock garden #pest resistant #drought tolerant #endangered #herbaceous perennial #herbaceous #perennial flowers #perennial #long lived #wildflower
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Drought; Insect Pests

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.