Common Name: Maryland Meadowbeauty
Scientific Name: Rhexia mariana
Order: Myrtales
Family: Melastomataceae
Wetland Plant Status: Atlantic & Gulf Coastal Plain, Great Plains – Facultative; Eastern Moutnains & Piedmont, Midwest, Northcentral & Northeast United States - Obligatory
Ecology & Description Maryland meadowbeauty is a perennial herb/forb that grows 20-80 cm in height and blooms through May and October. It grows showy pink or purple flowers (and occasionally white) in loose, neatly terminal clusters. Each flower has 4 petals that are almost as broad as they are long on a sturdy, four-sided, slightly winged stem with a yellow pistil and a ring of 8 bright yellow anthers. The leaves of this plant are 2-6 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, and have serrated, hairy margins.
Habitat Maryland beautyberry does best in full sun areas with heavy textured to highly organic soils. It occurs naturally in moist to wet areas, such as ditches, marshes, and wet meadows.
Distribution This plant ranges from Texas to Florida, north to Pennsylvania, and west to Illinois.
Native/Invasive Status Maryland meadowbeauty is one of twelve native species of the Rhexia genus in the United States. It is considered endangered in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
Wildlife Uses The bright inflorescence attracts the plant’s only pollinator: bumblebees that are capable of buzz pollination. This is where the bumblebee grasps the flower with its legs or mouthparts and vibrates its flight muscles very rapidly without moving its wings. This vibration shakes electrostatically charged pollen out of the anthers, and the pollen is attracted to the bumblebee’s oppositely charged body hairs. Then the bee moves on to another flower and grooms the pollen out of his hairs into the reproductive organ of the flower. The flowers are only functional for one day, so the fertility must rely on bumblebee activity for one day of anthesis. Besides bees, Maryland meadowbeauty is a moderately preferred White-tailed Deer brose in the early spring, accounting for approximately 5-10% its diet. It is not used much for cover.
Establishment & Management Techniques One should begin with a clean, firm seedbed when establishing Maryland beautyberry. The areas should be treated with herbicide, tilled, and culti-packed a couple of times to reduce competition from other plants during early growth. Spread the seed at a density of 0.5- lbs./acre. This can be done by mixing the seed with sand or rice hulls so that one can make sure that the seed is spread uniformly across the establishment site. Be wary of overwatering or hard rains; this could cause the seed to be washed away. Fertilization can be applied every year after establishment. Maryland beautyberry can be mowed prior to stem elongation if it becomes too dense.
References Larson, B. M. H. and S. C. H. Barrett. 1999. The ecology of pollen limitation in buzz-pollinated Rhexia Virginia (Melastomataceae). Journal of Ecology 87:371-381. Miller, J. H. and K. V. Miller. 2005. Forest Plants of the Southeast and their Wildlife Uses. The University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia, USA. 454 pp. Native Plant Information Network Native Plant Database. 2015. Rhexia mariana. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Online.
This document was authored by Marion Adams, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, April 2015.