Corkwood, Water toothleaf
Stillingia aquatica
Euphorbiaceae


Landscape Uses:

Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description:
Small to medium herb-like shrub.
Height:
Typically 2-4 feet in height. Usually taller than broad.
Growth Rate:
Moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland.
Habitats:
Marshes, swamps and wet pinelands.
Soils:
Moist to seasonally inundated, well-drained limestone or calcareous soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements:
Moderate to low; it prefers soils with organic content, but will still grow reasonably well in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance:
Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements:
Full sun.
Flower Color:
Yellowish-green.
Flower Characteristics:
Inconspicuous.
Flowering Season:
All year.
Fruit:
Inconspicuous capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Horticultural Notes:
Comments:
See also a 2022 post on the Treasure Coast Natives blog about the unique mechanisms that Stillingia aquatica uses to survive both flooding and drought conditions.


Shirley Denton
Keith A. Bradley
Keith A. Bradley
Keith A. Bradley