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Powdery Thalia

Thalia dealbata

Other common name(s):

Powdery Alligator-flag, Water Canna

Family:

Marantaceae (Arrowroot Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

East Central Texas Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Northern Post Oak Savanna, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Wetland

Height

3
to
8
ft.

Spread

1
to
2
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Shallow, Poor Drainage, Mud, Saline

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

High

Native Habitat

Wetland or Riparian

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White, Purple

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies

Maintenance

Good in water garden, bog or pond area. Set up a pond or a water collection tank near a downspout to supplement water. Propagation: Clump division.

Comments

Blooms May-October. Large, broadly lance-shaped, long-stemmed leaves. All parts of plant covered with a white powdery coating. The flowers are crowded in an open panicle. Grows in Cypress swamps; marshes; ponds. Larval Host: Brazilian Skipper butterfly.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym/s: Thalia barbata

References

1) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=THDE, 2) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=42428#null, 3) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=14828&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Thalia+dealbata&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 5) https://npn.rngr.net/renderNPNProtocolDetails?selectedProtocolIds=marantaceae-thalia-467&referer=wildflower

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Contact a local Chapter

State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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