Ernodea littoralis ‘Keys Pink’
 
Common Names Keys Pink Beach Creeper, Pink Golden Creeper
 
Zones 9B–11
A rare, regionally selected form of Ernodea littoralis, ‘Keys Pink’ features deeper pink tubular blooms and a slightly more compact, mounding habit than typical beach creeper. Native to the Florida Keys and coastal hammocks, this cultivar thrives in extreme heat, drought, and salt exposure. Its year-round flowers and golden berries support pollinators and birds, while its dense root system stabilizes dunes and sandy soils.
 
Key Features
Growth Habit: Low, mounding groundcover; spreads 3–6+ ft (0.9–1.8 m)
Height: Typically 1–2 ft (0.3–0.6 m)
Leaves: Opposite; fleshy; lanceolate to elliptic; light green with bowed veination
Stems: Woody; reddish; curving and sprawling
Flowers: Tubular; vivid pink; ½ in (1.2 cm); bloom year-round; sessile and axillary
Fruit: Round golden drupes; edible but mildly astringent; bird-friendly
Ecology: Native to coastal dunes, rocky hammocks, and pine rocklands; attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and small wildlife1
 
Growing Conditions
Light: Full sun to light shade
Watering: Low to moderate; drought tolerant once established
Soil: Sandy, calcareous, or rocky; well-drained; pH acidic to alkaline
Temperature: Frost sensitive; protect below 35°F (1.6°C)
Humidity: High tolerance; thrives in coastal humidity
Propagation: Cuttings preferred; clonal cultivar
Tolerance: Salt spray, brief saltwater inundation, pruning, extreme drought
 
Landscape Use Ideal for dune stabilization, coastal buffers, and xeric groundcover. Adds vivid color and fine texture to hot, dry sites. Pairs well with Suriana maritima, Scaevola taccada, and Ipomoea pes-caprae.