General Landscape Uses:
Natural settings.
Availability:
Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida.
Description: Deciduous shrub or rarely a small tree with spicy and aromatic leaves and twigs. Dark green leaves 2-5 inches long, grayish on the underside.
Dimensions: Typically 12 feet in height.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Eastern United States west to central Texas and south to Escambia, Jackson, Calhoun, Gadsden, and Liberty counties.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Wet 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 to light shade.
Flower Color: Yellow.
Flower Characteristics: Clustered along the branches.
Flowering Season: February.
Fruit: Small, red, oblong.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides food for birds. Larval host plant for Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio torilus) and Palamedes swallowtail (Pterourus palamedes) butterflies.
Horticultural Notes: Male and female flowers on separate plants.
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.
