General Landscape Uses: Accent tree in residential and commerical landscapes. Buffer plantings.

Description: Medium tree with a rounded or narrow crown. Trunk erect, to 20 inches in diameter, bearing many willow-like branches. Bark smooth, becoming flaky. Leaves light green, thin, 2-6 inches long.

Dimensions: Typically 20-30 feet in height; to 57 feet in South Florida. Taller than broad.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Monroe County Keys north, mostly along the coasts, to Martin and Collier counties; West Indies, Mexico and Central America. For a digitized image of Elbert Little’s Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website.

Habitats: Hammocks.

Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone 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 long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.

Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.

Light Requirements: Full sun.

Flower Color: Whitish-green.

Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy. Fragant.

Flowering Season: All year; peak in spring.

Fruit: Black berry.

Wildlife and Ecology: Nectar plant for Florida duskywing (Ephyriades brunneus), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops), and other pollinators.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from de-pulped seed.

References: Nelson 2003

Comments: Is sometimes defoliated by caterpillars.