FNPS Plant Database
Conocarpus erectus
buttonwood
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Nomenclature
Common Name:
buttonwood
Synonym(s):
Genus species:
Conocarpus erectus
Family:
Combretaceae
Plant Specifics
Form:
tree
Size:
20-40 (50) ft tall by 20-40 ft wide
Life Span:
long-lived perennial
Flower Color:
yellow, green
Fruit Color:
brown
Phenology:
evergreen; flowers and fruits all year
Noted For:
Landscaping
Recommended Uses:
Specimen plant, shade tree, hedge. Will tolerate shearing.
Considerations:
Availability:
Propagation:
seeds or cuttings
Light:
Moisture Tolerance:
Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry
Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Somewhat long very dry periods
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:
Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation)
Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without injury.
Soil or Other Substrate:
Lime Rock, Sand
Soil pH:
calcareous (high pH)
Suitable to Grow In:
9B, 10A, 10B, 11
USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Ecology
Wildlife:
Seeds are primarily dispersed by water.
Nectar source and larval host plant for martial scrub hairstreak (Strymon martialis) and tantalus sphinx (Aellopos tantalus). Nectar plant for amethyst hairstreak (Chlorostrymon maesites) and other butterflies. Attracts bees.
Native Habitats:
Upper edges of mangrove swamps and on lower parts of dunes.
Natural Range in Florida:
Visit the USF Libraries Atlas of Florida Plants
Comments:
Ethnobotany:
Wood has been used to make charcoal.
General Comments:
Two color morphs, green and silver.
Since it often occurs along the upland margin of mangrove swamps, it is sometimes referred to as the fourth Florida mangrove.
The silver morph is generally smaller and shrubbier than the green morph.
Citations:
Nelson, Gil. 2003. Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Workman, Richard W. 1980. Growing Native: Native Plants for Landscape Use in Coastal South Florida. Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Inc.: Sanibel, FL.
