General Landscape Uses:
Shade tree, specimen tree.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Small, spiny tree or shrub 20-40 feet tall with a narrow rounded crown and straight trunk up to 2 feet in diameter. Deeply fissured bark divided into narrow ridges with thick, reddish-brown scales. Short, thick branches with dark green, shiny leaves that have rust-brown and silvery-white hairs underneath, 1-2.5 inches long and about half inch wide. Small white flowers in clusters followed by small black fruits.
Dimensions: Typically 20-40 feet in height.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Southern United States from South Carolina to Arizona, south to Hillsborough, Lake, and Orange 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: Sandhills and hammocks.
Soils: Moist to dry, well-drained to poorly drained sandy soils, with or without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate to low; it prefers soils with organic content, but will still grow reasonably well in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance: Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color: White.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy clusters.
Flowering Season: Summer.
Fruit: One half inch black berry-like fruit.
Wildlife and Ecology: Fruits eaten by quail, turkey, other birds, and deer.
References: Wunderlin and Hansen (
2011), Elias (
1980)
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.
