Landscape Uses:
	An accent or specimen shrub or small tree. Also useful in buffer plantings and informal hedges.
Ecological Restoration Notes:
	A common element of coastal hammocks and thickets.
Availability:
	Widely cultivated.  Available in Boynton Beach at Sustainscape, Inc. , in Lake Worth at Indian Trails Native Nursery, and in Fort Myers at All Native Garden Center, in Naples at Everglades Native Designs, in Sanibel at Captiva Conservation Foundation.
Description:
	large shrub or small upright tree with a slender crown composed of short branches. Foliage dense in sun, becoming open in shade. Trunks 2-6 inches in diameter. Bark dark red brown, rough. Leaves smooth and shiny above, rusty beneath, 2-3 inches long.
Height:
	Typically 6-12 feet in height, sometimes more. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate:
	Slow to moderate.
Range:
	Monroe County Keys north along the coasts to Brevard, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; West Indies, 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 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:
	High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury.
Drought Tolerance:
	High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements:
	Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color:
	Opens white, turning pink within a few hours.
Flower Characteristics:
	Showy, brushlike, 1 1/2" long. Fragrant, mostly so in the evening.
Flowering Season:
	Spring-summer; peak in spring.
Fruit:
	Brown capsule, 9-12" long, rupturing irregularly with age, exposing the red interior; summer.
Wildlife and Ecology:
	Provides food and cover for wildlife. Larval host plant for Florida white (Appias drusilla) butterflies. Attracts pollinators.
Horticultural Notes:
	Grown from seed, which need to be scarified. Start in shade and move to full sun after true leaves are formed. Germination is within a month.
Comments:
	This is an excellent plant for coastal gardens. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.