Accent or specimen or shade tree in residential and commercial landscapes.
Availability:
Widely cultivated.
Description:
Medium to large tree with a rounded crown. Trunks erect, straight, to 20 inches in diameter. Bark light brown to brownish-gray, smooth when young, then becoming rough. Leaves compound, 6-16 inches long, shiny, orangish or reddish when young.
Dimensions:
Typically 30-50 feet in height; to 63 feet in South Florida. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate:
Slow to moderate.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Brevard and Collier counties; Bahamas, Cuba, southern Mexico, Central America.
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:
High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without injury.
Drought Tolerance:
High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements:
Full sun.
Flower Color:
Yellow to creamy white.
Flower Characteristics:
Inconspicuous. Dioecious, with male and female flowers on different plants.
Flowering Season:
Winter-spring.
Fruit:
Bright red drupe turning black when mature.
Horticultural Notes:
Can be grown from de-pulped seed. Plant right away; the seeds do not store well. Stake plants when trasplanting as root development usually lags behind aboveground development.
Gann, G.D., M.E. Abdo, J.W. Gann, G.D. Gann, Sr., S.W.
Woodmansee, K.A. Bradley, E. Verdon and K.N. Hines. 2005-2008. Natives For Your Neighborhood. http://www.regionalconservation.org.
The Institute for Regional Conservation, Miami.