General Landscape Uses:
Buffer plantings.
Ecological Restoration Notes: A relatively rare edge tree of rockland hammocks on the mainland; also a shrub in pine rocklands in southern Miami-Dade County.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Small tree or large shrub with a rangy, somewhat unpredictable form. Leaves thick, dull green above with large conspicuous veins.
Dimensions: Typically 10-20 feet in height. Often taller than broad, but often shrublike and as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Monroe County Keys and Miami-Dade County; Bahamas and Greater Antilles. In Miami-Dade County, native to the Miami Rock Ridge from Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park north and east to west of Goulds. Presumed extirpated in the Monroe County Keys where collected once on North Key Largo in 1961.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: Rockland hammocks.
Soils: Moist, well-drained 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: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Yellowish-green.
Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Brownish capsule.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed. Place in light shade or full sun.
Comments: It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida. See also Florida Natural Areas Inventory's
Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida page (Chafin 2000).
