Landscape Uses:
	Attractive accent or specimen tree for residential and commerical landscapes. Also buffer plantings.
Ecological Restoration Notes:
	A common canopy and subcanopy tree in hammocks.
Availability:
	Native plant nurseries. Available in Boynton Beach at Sustainscape (561-245-5305).
Description:
	Medium tree with narrow round-topped crown composed of slender, spreading branches. Trunks straight, often angled, 6-15 inches in diameter. Bark gray when young, becoming dark reddish-brown, covered with numerous warts. Leaves smooth, dark green above, paler beneath, with a yellow midrib; aromatic when crushed, 3-6 inches long.
Height:
	Typically 20-30 feet in height. Often as broad as tall, especially when young.
Growth Rate:
	Moderate to fast.
Range:
	Monroe County Keys north to Volusia, Highlands and Collier counties; West Indies, Mexico and Central America. In the Monroe County Keys, apparently absent south and west of Lignumvitae Key. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website.
Habitats:
	Hammocks.
Soils:
	Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements:
	Moderate to high; grows best with some organic content and may languish in nutrient poor soils.
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:
	Light shade to full sun.
Flower Color:
	Creamy white.
Flower Characteristics:
	Semi-showy in dense clusters. Fragrant.
Flowering Season:
	Spring-fall; peaks in spring and late fall.
Fruit:
	1/2" long drupe, ripening purple and eventually turning black, in a red or yellow cup-like base.
Wildlife and Ecology:
	Provides significant food and moderate amounts of cover for wildlife. Attracts insect pollinators.
Horticultural Notes:
	Can be grown from de-pulped seed. Plant right away; seeds do not store well. Place seed on surface of soil and just cover. Place container in light shade.
Comments:
	The leaves are fragrant when crushed. The attractive fruits resemble a miniature avocado. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website. Synonyms: Ocotea coriacea.