General Landscape Uses:
Small specimen tree or shrub.
Availability:
Commonly available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida. Widely available in central Florida.
Description: Small upright tree sometimes with multiple trunks. Rounded crown. Leaves 3-8 inches long. Covered with clusters of airy cream-colored flowers in early spring.
Dimensions: Typically 15 to 30 feet in height. Usually taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Eastern United States south to Brevard, Osceola, Polk, Hardee, and Sarasota counties. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the
Exploring Florida website.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.
Habitats: Moist woods, wet hammocks, floodplains, flatwoods.
Soils: Moist to seasonally wet, well-drained to poorly-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: Light shade to full sun.
Flower Color: Cream
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Early spring.
Fruit: Blue drupe 1 inch long.
Horticultural Notes: Dioecious.
References: Hall (
2020), Mellichamp (
2014)
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. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
