Landscape Uses:
	Accent or specimen shrub or small tree. Informal and formal hedges. Buffer plantings.
Ecological Restoration Notes:
Availability:
	Widely available in central Florida. Commonly available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in South Florida.
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.
Height:
	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.
Horticultural Notes:
Comments:
	See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.