General Landscape Uses:
Hedges, mass plantings, specimen shrub.
Availability:
Commonly available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in central Florida.
Description: Large, spreading, deciduous shrub with an arching, broadly rounded crown. Leaves 2-4 inches long and coarsely toothed. Creamy white flowers in 5 inch clusters in the spring.
Dimensions: Typically 6-15 feet in height, as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Eastern and southern United States to Pasco, Marion, Putnam, and Volusia 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.
Habitats: Moist woods, swamps.
Soils: Moist to wet, well-drained to poorly drained sandy or organic soils with acid pH, with or without humus.
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: Full sun to moderate shade.
Flower Color: Creamy white.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Spring.
Fruit: Bluish to blackish drupes in showy clusters.
Wildlife and Ecology: Attracts pollinators. Provides food for birds.
References: Hall (
2020), Mellichamp (
2014)
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.
