|                    Willow-bustic, White bully
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                |                    Sideroxylon salicifolium  
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                |                    Sapotaceae 
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                 Landscape Uses:
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                 Accent tree in residential and commerical landscapes.  Buffer plantings. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
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                | Availability: | 
               
              
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                 Commonly available at native plant nurseries in South Florida. | 
               
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
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                 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. | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
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                 Typically 20-30 feet in height; to 57 feet in South Florida.  Taller than broad. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
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                 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: | 
               
              
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                 Hammocks. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
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                 Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with humusy top layer. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 High; does not require any supplemental water once established. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Full sun. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
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                 Whitish-green. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
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                 Semi-showy.  Fragant. | 
               
              
                | Flowering Season: | 
               
              
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                 All year; peak in spring. | 
               
              
                | Fruit: | 
               
              
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                 Black berry. | 
               
              
                | Wildlife and Ecology: | 
               
              
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                 Nectar plant for Florida duskywing (Ephyriades brunneus), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops), and other pollinators.
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                | Horticultural Notes: | 
               
              
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                 Can be grown from de-pulped seed. | 
               
              
                | Comments: | 
               
              
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                 Is sometimes defoliated by caterpillars. | 
               
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                    George D. Gann In habitat, Everglades National Park, Key Largo, Florida, 2013
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