Woody groundcover or small shrub with short erect stems. Leaves 4 inches long, leathery, dark green.
Dimensions:
About 1-5 feet in height. Spreading from underground stems and forming large open or dense patches.
Growth Rate:
Slow.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to the Monroe County Keys. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key.
Habitats:
Pinelands and coastal thickets.
Soils:
Moist to dry, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements:
Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
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 injury.
Drought Tolerance:
High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements:
Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color:
Creamy white.
Flower Characteristics:
Semi-showy in terminal clusters.
Flowering Season:
All year; peak spring-summer.
Fruit:
Elliptical drupe. Edible.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Provides significant food and some cover for wildlife. Nectar plant for butterflies. The fruits are highly attractive to wildlife.
Gann, G.D., M.E. Abdo, J.W. Gann, G.D. Gann, Sr., S.W.
Woodmansee, K.A. Bradley, E. Grahl and K.N. Hines. 2005-2013. Natives For Your Neighborhood. http://www.regionalconservation.org.
The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida USA.