General Landscape Uses:
Specimen tree.
Availability:
Rarely grown by native plant nurseries.
Description: Small deciduous tree or shrub with up to 30 feet tall with a narrow, rounded crown. Oval shaped dark-green leaves on spiny branches. Showy pink or white flowers in clusters appear before the leaves. Large, green to reddish edible fruit.
Dimensions: Typically 30 feet in height.
Range:
Mostly eastern Texas and Louisiana east to the western Florida Panhandle in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Jackson, and Calhoun counties.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: River swamps
Soils: Wet to moist, moderately well-drained to poorly-drained organic or sandy soils, often with acid pH.
Nutritional Requirements: High; requires rich organic soils for optimal growth.
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: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Light shade.
Flower Color: White or pink
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: February and March.
Fruit: Large, greenish to reddish.
Wildlife and Ecology: Attracts pollinators. Provides food and cover for wildlife.
References: Wunderlin and Hansen (
2011), Huegel (
2010
Comments: The large, edible fruit is made into preserves and jellies. 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.
