General Landscape Uses:
	Accent flowering shrub in residental and commerical landscapes. Also useful in buffer plantings.
Ecological Restoration Notes:
	A relatively common shrub of forest edges nearly throughout South Florida.
Availability:
	Widely cultivated.
Description:
	Medium bushy shrub with arching branches forming a large mound. Leaves coarse, 2-6 inches long, aromatic when crushed.
Dimensions:
	Typically 5-9 feet in height. Usually as broad as tall and sometimes broader.
Growth Rate:
	Fast.
Range:
	Southeastern United States, Marlyland and Missouri west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys; Bermuda, Bahamas and Cuba. Very rare in the Monroe County Keys and perhaps absent south of Key Largo.
Habitats:
	A wide range of terrestrial ecosystems.
Soils:
	Moist, well-drained sandy, limestone or organic soils, usually with a 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 to light shade.
Flower Color:
	Pink or rarely white.
Flower Characteristics:
	Semi-showy in dense clusters.
Flowering Season:
	All year; peak spring-summer.
Fruit:
	Red-purple berry-like drupe, rarely white. Very showy clusters in the leaf axils. All year; peak summer-fall.
Wildlife and Ecology:
	Provides significant food and moderate amounts of cover for wildlife. Nectar plant for butterflies. Birds eat the fruits.
Horticultural Notes:
	Grown from seed. Clean pulp from seed by rubbing on a paper towel or by placing into a blender with water and then straining. Sprinkle seeds into a pot with 2" or more potting soil. Place in light shade or full sun and keep moist.
Comments:
	This is an excellent and adaptable shrub for nearly throughout South Florida. The attractive purple fruits attract many birds. Periodic heavy pruning nearly to the ground encourages new growth.