General Landscape Uses:
Natural, wet settings.
Availability:
Available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida.
Description: Heavily branched deciduous shrub or small tree up to 15 feet tall. Zigzag twigs with oblong, dark green leaves 2 inches long. Tiny yellow flowers in clusters at the tips of branches. Small, round red fruits.
Dimensions: Typically 10-15 feet in height.
Range:
Southeastern coastal United States west to Okaloosa county and south to Levy, Marion, and Pasco counties.
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.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: Edges of baygalls, flatwoods ponds, cypress domes.
Soils: Moist to wet, seasonally inundated organic, sandy or calcareous soils, with or without 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: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Moderate to light shade.
Flower Color: Yellow.
Flowering Season: March to April.
Fruit: Bright red fruits.
Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for Palamedes swallowtail (Pterourus palamedes) butterfly
Horticultural Notes: Male and female flowers on separate plants. Susceptible to laurel wilt disease.
References: Chafin (
2000), Britton and Brown (
1970)
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.
