Landscape Uses:
	Accent shrub. Buffer plantings.
Ecological Restoration Notes:
Availability:
	Widely cultivated. Available in Lake Worth at Indian Trails Native Nursery , and in Naples at Everglades Native Designs, and in Key West at Key West Botanical Garden.
Description:
	Large shrub or small tree with an erect trunk and an irregular narrow crown. Trunks generally 2-3 inches in diameter. Bark smooth, pale gray. Leaves smooth, bright green, about 2-4 inches long.
Height:
	Typically 10-15 feet in height; to 30 feet in South Florida. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate:
	Moderate.
Range:
	Monroe County Keys north to Volusia, Lake and Dixie counties; West Indies and Central America. Very rare in the upper and middle Monore County Keys. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website.
Habitats:
	Moist forests, forest edges and pinelands.
Soils:
	Moist to seasonally wet, well-drained to poorly-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 significant injury.
Drought Tolerance:
	Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements:
	Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color:
	Green.
Flower Characteristics:
	Inconspicuous. Essentially dioecious, with male and female flowers on different plants; sometimes a few perfect flowers are present. The flowers are borne directly on the twigs from the previous year's growth.
Flowering Season:
	All year; peak fall-winter.
Fruit:
	Blue to black berry, borne on the stems.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Horticultural Notes:
	Can be grown from seed after coating is removed. Scatter seeds over surface of soil and barely cover. Place container in light shade or full sun.
Comments:
	Miccosukee Indians used the dried leaves to mix with tobacco. Horticultural synonyms: M. floridana, Rapanea punctata.