Sabatia stellaris aka Rose Of Plymouth

Sabatia stellaris is a wildflower in the gentian family, Gentianaceae. Its names include annual sea-pink, sea star, and star pink. The RHS also lists it as rose of Plymouth. Its native range runs from the eastern United States to Mexico. It also grows naturally in the Bahamas and Cuba. Kew places it in a subtropical climate. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. North Carolina State Extension records it as a coastal native.

This plant grows in marshes with brackish water. Such sites contain a mix of fresh and salt water. Salt tolerance is one of its useful traits for coastal sites. It also tolerates wet soil. North Carolina State Extension describes it as an annual. Kew gives a broader life cycle of annual or biennial. The sources therefore differ on how long a plant may live. They give no mature height or spread for garden plants. The leaves have no hairs, and the stems lack scent.

Pink flowers provide color through summer and into fall. North Carolina State Extension gives the flowering season as July to October. Its fruit display follows from August through November. Flowers and fruit can thus appear during the same months. The source lists nectar and pollen among its wildlife food resources. It also identifies the plant as a native pollinator plant. These traits add wildlife value to its seasonal flower display. The supplied accounts do not describe the fruit's shape or color.

For cultivation, the listed light choices are full sun and partial shade. Full sun means at least six hours of direct light daily. Partial shade provides direct light for only part of the day. Soil should stay moist and may become wet at times. These needs fit its marsh habitat and tolerance of wet ground. Its listed landscape uses include coastal sites and native gardens. The evidence does not give soil pH, frost limits, or hardiness zones. It also gives no details on pests or diseases. No supplied source establishes edible parts, medicinal uses, or safety for people or pets. Those gaps should not be read as proof of safety.