General Landscape Uses:
Specimen shrub.
Availability:
Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida.
Description: Deciduous large shrub or small tree up to 25 feet. Forms extensive colonies. Leaves 6-12 inches long, ovate and widest near the tip. Maroon flowers 1-2 inches wide emerging before the leaves. Large, greenish, fleshy fruit 3-5 inches long.
Dimensions: Up to 25 feet in height, forming colonies.
Range:
Eastern North America south to the central Florida Panhandle. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the
Exploring Florida website.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Mesic hammocks
Soils: Moist, well-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: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance: Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements: Moderate shade to full sun.
Flower Color: Maroon
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Early spring.
Fruit: Fleshy, pulpy berry
Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host for the zebra swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus floridanus) butterfly. Provides food for animals.
Horticultural Notes: Has low rates of cross-pollination so fruit may not set. Ripened fruit can be odorous in the late summer.
References: Mellichamp (
2014), Wunderlin and Hansen 2011
Comments: We have been adding data for this species for central and northern Florida and welcome any feedback or review. If you would like to contribute information or images, please contact George Gann via the IRC staff page.
