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Description: Small to medium tree or large shrub with a cylindrical crown from many small, irregularly-shaped branches. Trunks generally short, to about 10 inches in diameter. The branches bear many sharp, hooked spines. Bark gray, rough. Leaves compound, aromatic, about 3-4 inches long.
Dimensions: Typically 10-20 feet in height; to 26 feet in South Florida. As broad as tall or broader.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Volusia, Marion and Citrus counties; Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Texas, Mexico, Central America and South America. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website.
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: 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.
Flower Color: Greenish-yellow.
Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous. Fragrant. Dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.
Flowering Season: All year; peak winter-summer.
Fruit: Orange-brown glandular punctate follicles opening to reveal small, shiny, black seeds.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides significant food and moderate amounts of cover for wildlife. Larval host plant for giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) butterflies. Perhaps a secondary larval host for Schaus' swallowtail (Papilio aristodemus) butterflies.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed removed from the outer coating. Scatter seeds over soil and barely cover. Germination is in about a month.
References: Hammer 2004, Nelson 2003, Schaefer & Tanner 1997
Comments: When crushed, the leaves have a lime-like aroma. The wood is much desired for making furniture. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.
Copyright by: James Johnson, 2014 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida Expand
Copyright by: James Johnson, 2014 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
Copyright by: George D. Gann, 2018 In habitat, Quail Roost Pineland, Florida
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley
Copyright by: Michelle M. Smith, 2018 In habitat, Ned Glenn Nature Preserve, Florida
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.
