Lycium carolinianum
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Christmasberry
Solanaceae
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Shrub | |
| Size: | 6-8 ft tall by 3-5 ft wide | |
| Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | Purple | |
| Fruit Color: | Red | |
| Phenology: | Evergreen unless drought-stressed. Blooms Fall into winter. Fruits in winter. | |
| Noted for: | Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Specimen plant, hedge plant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Considerations: | Toxic to livestock. Green fruits toxic to humans. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Native nurseries, Seed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Tolerant of inundation with brackish water | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without injury. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Marine alluvium, Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | Calcareous (high pH) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
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| Insects: | Nectar plant for great southern white (Ascia monuste), gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) and other butterflies as well as sphinx moths. | |
| Native Habitats: | Salt marsh, salt flats. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 11 8A 8B 9A 9B
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| Ethnobotany: | Fruit is said to be edible (ONLY IF RIPE) (reported by Plants for the Future) | |
| General Comments: | Succulent foliage. This plant is in the tomato family. FNPS cannot vouch that the fruit is edible. |