FNPS Plant Database

Cyrilla racemiflora

titi, leatherwood
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

titi, leatherwood

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Cyrilla racemiflora

Family:

Cyrilliacea

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

20-30 ft tall by 10-20 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Deciduous north Florida becoming semi-evergreen in peninsular locations. Blooms in spring. May live over 100+ years (Nelson 2003)

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Fall Color, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Hedge plant.

Considerations:

In unburned natural wetlands, this plant sometimes form almost impenetrable thickets along the edge.

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Seed and root cuttings.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

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

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Stays wet -to- Somewhat moist, no flooding

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam, Organic

Soil pH:

Slightly acidic to calcareous

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Birds, Mammals

Attracts bees ( https://wildflower.org ).

Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.

Native Habitats:

Swampy sites, wet pine flatwoods, sloughs and edges of cypress swamps, seepage swamps and bogs, savannas, other wet depressional areas.

Natural Range in Florida:

Loading Florida counties…

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Noted as a good honey plant.

General Comments:

Citations:

Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


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.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2025. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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