Jamaica-dogwood, Florida fishpoison tree
|
Piscidia piscipula
|
Fabaceae
|
Landscape Uses:
|
|
Accent tree in coastal locations. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
|
|
Availability: |
|
Native plant nurseries. Available in Lake Worth at Amelia's SmartyPlants (561-540-6296).
|
Description: |
|
Medium to large tree with an irregular crown composed of many erect or irregularly-shaped branches. Trunks to 3 feet in diameter, but usually much smaller. Bark thin, gray. Leaves compound, dark green above, pale beneath; tropical deciduous. |
Height: |
|
Typically 25-35 feet in height; to 41 feet in South Florida. Taller than broad. |
Growth Rate: |
|
Moderate to fast. |
Range: |
|
Monroe County Keys north moslty along the coasts to Miami-Dade and Lee counties; disjunct in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Mexico and Central America. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website. |
Habitats: |
|
Coastal hammocks. |
Soils: |
|
Moist, well-drained limestone or calcareous sandy soils, with humusy top layer. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
|
Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
|
Moderately low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water, but tolerates short term inunation by salt water from storm surge with minimal damage. |
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: |
|
White to pink or lavender. |
Flower Characteristics: |
|
Showy for a brief period. |
Flowering Season: |
|
Spring. |
Fruit: |
|
Light brown pod (legume) with papery wings. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
|
Larval host plant for cassius blue (Leptotes cassius) and hammock skipper (Polygonus leo) butterflies; also larval host for the recently introduced fulvous hairstreak (Electrostrymon angelia) butterflies. Attracts bee pollinators. |
Horticultural Notes: |
|
Can be grown from seed. |
Comments: |
|
|
|
|
|
James Johnson, 2014 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
|
|
George D. Gann, 2013 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Key Largo, Florida
|
|
|
|