Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Accent shrub. Buffer plantings.

Ecological Restoration Notes: A rather common element of coastal thickets in the Florida Keys; rare elsewhere.

Availability: Available at native plant nurseries in central and South Florida. Available in Lake Worth at  Amelia's SmartyPlants (561-540-6296).

Description: Medium to large densely-leaved shrub. Bark dark brown striped with light brown. Leaves flat, 1-3 inches or more in length.

Dimensions: About 4-8 feet in height. Usually taller than broad.

Growth Rate: Slow to moderate.

Range: Monroe County Keys north along the east coast to Martin County; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Rare in southeastern Florida outside the Florida Keys. In Broward County, known only from Hugh Taylor Birch State Park.

 Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

 Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.

Habitats: Coastal hammocks.

Soils: Moist, well-drained to moderately well-drained limestone or 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: Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury.

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

Light Requirements: Full sun.

Flower Color: White.

Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.

Flowering Season: All year.

Fruit: Shiny purple to black drupe; juicy.

Wildlife and Ecology: Nectar plant for Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) butterflies.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from de-pulped seed. Plant in container with 2" or more of soil. Sprinkle soil to just cover the seeds and place in full sun.

Comments: It is listed as threatened by the state of Florida.