| Author | Vahl | |
| Distribution | Mostly in the southern Coastal Plain; also in several Piedmont counties. First collected in 1935 in Brunswick County.
Native of South America; in N.A. MA to OH and MO, south to FL and TX; also CA. | |
| Abundance | Uncommon in the southeastern counties, though collections post-1990 are rare. Rare farther northward and into the southeastern Piedmont. | |
| Habitat | Sandy roadsides, railroad yard, vacant lot, sandhill, waste ground at waterfront, creek bank. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting March-September. | |
| Identification | Heliotropes formerly were included within the Borage (Boraginaceae) family, largely due to the coiled racemes of flowers. Clasping Heliotrope is a misnomer, as the leaves do not clasp the stem; rather, they are lance-shaped with a short basal taper to a sessile base. The rather small flowers on the coiled flowering stalks are lavender to blue-violet. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | | |
| Other Common Name(s) | | |
| State Rank | SE | |
| Global Rank | GNR | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
