Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Due to its limited range in South Florida, not recommended for geneneral landscape use.

Ecological Restoration Notes: A rare element of coastal strand and maritime hammocks from Key Biscayne north to southeastern Palm Beach County.

Availability: Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.

Description: Small to medium tree or large shrub with a rounded, spreading crown.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Southeastern South Florida, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Bahamas and Hispaniola. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website.

 Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

Habitats: Coastal hammocks and thickets.

Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy soils, with humusy top layer.

Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury.

Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.

Light Requirements: Full sun.

Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous. Flowers unisexual.

Flowering Season: All year.

Wildlife and Ecology: Provides food and cover for wildlife. Larval host for giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) butterflies.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed removed from the outer coating. Scatter seeds over soil and barely cover.

References: Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual (2005).

Comments: For more information, visit our Floristic Inventory of South Florida Database Online. See also Florida Natural Areas Inventory's Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida page (Chafin 2000).