FNPS Plant Database

Crossopetalum ilicifolium

quailberry, Christmasberry

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

quailberry, Christmasberry

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Crossopetalum ilicifolium

Family:

Celastraceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

1-2 (3) ft tall by 1-3 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

red

Phenology:

Evergreen. Flowers and fruits all year.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Small shrub. Prostrate. Can be planted as a groundcover in beds or masses with other low-growing plants. Makes a good plant for use in a rock (limerock) garden.

Considerations:

Availability:

Seed

Propagation:

Seed. Slow growing.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

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

Coming Soon!

Not wet but not extremely dry ---to--- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Lime Rock

Soil pH:

Calcareous (high pH)

Suitable to Grow In:

10A,10B,11

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



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Birds, Mammals

Fruits attract birds including quail.  

Native Habitats:

Pine rockland, rockland hammock, sinkhole. Sinkhole edges.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Citations:

Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native Plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants (https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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