Gopher-apple
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Licania michauxii
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Chrysobalanaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Low massing shrub. Wildflower gardens. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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Availability: |
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Occasionally available at Mesozoic Landscapes, Inc. in Lake Worth and available at Indian Trails Native Nursery in Lake Worth (561-641-9488). |
Description: |
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Woody groundcover or small shrub with short erect stems. Leaves 4 inches long, leathery, dark green. |
Height: |
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About 1-5 feet in height. Spreading from underground stems and forming large open or dense patches. |
Growth Rate: |
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Very slow. |
Range: |
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Southeastern United States south to the Monroe County Keys. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key. |
Habitats: |
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Pinelands and coastal thickets. |
Soils: |
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Moist to dry, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
Light Requirements: |
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Full sun to light shade. |
Flower Color: |
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Creamy white. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Semi-showy in terminal clusters. |
Flowering Season: |
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All year; peak spring-summer. |
Fruit: |
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Elliptical drupe. Edible. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Provides significant food and some cover for wildlife. The flowers attract bees and butterflies. The fruits are highly attractive to wildlife. |
Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from seed. |
Comments: |
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See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.
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