Common Name:

fiddlewood

Synonym(s):

Citharexylum fruticosum

Genus species:

Citharexylum spinosum

Family:

Verbenaceae

Form:

shrub

Size:

12-25 feet ft tall by up to 12 feet ft wide 

Life Span:

long-lived perennial; moderately long-lived (Nelson 2003)

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

young fruits orange, mature to brown

Phenology:

evergreen; dioecious, with flowers and fruits throughout the year

Noted For:

Recommended Uses:

Wonderful in a mixed hedge, can be sheared to desired height, but the flowers and berries are too good to be missed. Excellent specimen plant. This plant is naturally multi-stemmed; to form a tree, the stems must be continually reduced to one until a trunk is formed.

Considerations:

Availability:

Propagation:

seeds, cuttings

Light:

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Somewhat moist, no flooding ---to--- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Lime Rock, Sand

Soil pH:

adaptable

Suitable to Grow In:

9B, 10A, 10B, 11

Wildlife:

Berries eaten by many species of bids and other wildlife.

Larval host for fiddlewood leafroller moth (Epicorsia oedipodalis) (Institute for Regional Conservation).

Nectar plant for butterflies.

Attracts bee pollinators.

Native Habitats:

Dry sites. Pinelands, maritime and sub-tropical or tropical hammocks

Natural Range in Florida:

Visit the USF Libraries Atlas of Florida Plants

Ethnobotany:

The strong and heavy wood of this plant are also the source of its name - it has long been used for musical instruments, including violins, guitars and others.

General Comments:

The shiny green leaves, gently fragrant flowers and glossy berries make this a charming plant. Can occasionally be subject to defoliation by the moth larvae, but these are an excellent food source for birds and their nestlings, and the fiddlewood regenerates quickly.