General Landscape Uses: Accent or specimen shrub or small tree. Informal and formal hedges. Buffer plantings.

Description: Small to medium tree with a broadly spreading crown. Trunks to 6 inches in diameter, but usually much less in South Florida. Bark nearly black, furrowed. Leaves temperate semi-deciduous, dark green above, pale beneath, about 1/2-1 1/2 inches long.

Dimensions: Typically 10-20 feet in height in South Florida; to 30 feet in Florida. Often as broad as tall.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Southeastern United States south to Broward County and the Monroe County mainland. Very rare in southeastern Florida. In Broward County known only from Fern Forest Nature Center. For a digitized image of Elbert Little’s Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website. A number of new discoveries in South Florida have occured since the production of Little’s map.

Habitats: Floodplain forests and hammocks

Soils: Seasonally wet to moist, moderately well-drained sandy soils, with humusy top layer.

Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.

Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.

Drought Tolerance: Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.

Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.

Flower Color: White.

Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.

Flowering Season: Winter-spring.

Fruit: Drupe, red turning black.

Wildlife and Ecology: Provides significant food and cover for wildlife. Attracts pollinators. Birds and other animals eat the fruits.

References: Nelson 2003, Schaefer & Tanner 1997

Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation’s Flower Friday page.