FNPS Plant Database
Geobalanus oblongifolius
Nomenclature
Common Name:
Synonym(s):
Genus species:
Family:
Chrysobalanaceae
Plant Specifics
Form:
Size:
Life Span:
Long-lived perennial
Flower Color:
Fruit Color:
Phenology:
Noted For:
Landscaping
Recommended Uses:
Considerations:
Availability:
Propagation:
Light:
Moisture Tolerance:
Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry
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Not wet but not extremely dry -to- Very long very dry periods
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:
Unknown
Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:
Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray.
Soil or Other Substrate:
Sand
Soil pH:
Suitable to Grow In:
9A,9B,10A,10B,11
USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.
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Ecology
Wildlife:
Butterflies including buckeyes, rattlebox moths, wasps, ants and bees use the flowers. Bees are the primary pollinators. Documented bees include Colletes sp. A, Agaposternon splendens, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis metallica, A. sumptuosa, Dialictus nyinphalis, Sphecodes heraclei, Megachile brevispseudobrevis, Epeoluszonatus and Apis inellifera (Deyrup et al. 2002)
Fruits are eaten by small mammals and gopher tortoises.
Native Habitats:
Comments:
Ethnobotany:
General Comments:
Citations:
Deyrup, Mark; Jayanthi Edirisinghe, and Beth Norden. 2002. The diversity and floral hosts of bees at the
Deyrup, Mark, Jay Edirisinghe, and Beth Norden. (2002). The diversity and floral hosts of bees at the Archbold Biological Station, Florida (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Insecta Mundi, 544.
Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.
Huegel, Craig N. (2010). Native Plant Landscaping for Florida Wildlife. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (1993+). Flora of North America North of Mexico. (a href="https://floranorthamerica.org/Licania_michauxii" target="_blank">https://floranorthamerica.org/Licania_michauxii). Accessed 2026.
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.
UF/IFAS. (Undated). Gopher Apple - Gardening Solutions. ( https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/gopher-apple.html ). Accessed 2026. Center for Land Use Solutions, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville.
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.
