Canella winterana
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Cinnamon Bark, Wild Cinnamon, Pepper Cinnamon
Canellaceae
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Tree | |
| Size: | 15-20 (30) ft | |
| Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | Red | |
| Fruit Color: | Red | |
| Phenology: | Evergreen. Flowers in summer. All flowers within a plant bloom synchronously as functional females and after 24 hours they synchronously switch to functional males, helping to ensure cross-pollination. Fruits ripen in winter. | |
| Noted for: | Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Understory tree. Use as screen or specimen plant. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Seed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Native nurseries | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Somewhat moist, no flooding ----- to ----- Short very dry periods) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Somewhat moist, no flooding ----- to ----- Short very dry periods | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Tolerant of inundation with brackish water | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Humus (organic, upland), Lime rock, Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | Calcareous (high pH) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
Fruits eaten by birds and small mammals. Hummingbirds visit the flowers. | |
| Insects: | Nectar plant for Schaus' swallowtail (Heraclides aristodemius) and other butterflies.
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| Native Habitats: | Rockland hammock in coastal areas. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 11
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| Ethnobotany: | Canella winterana has been used medicinally to treat “female tiredness” by preparing a tonic made from boiling leaves and bark. Crushed leaves can be used to numb the pain of toothaches by placing them near the tooth. Tonics of the bark are also used to treat gastrointestinal issues. The bark and berries are dried and crushed and used commercially as a spice. The bark has also been used to flavor tobacco. | |
| General Comments: | It is listed as Endangered by the state of Florida. |