Persea humilis

Scrub Bay

Lauraceae

Also known as Persea borbonea var. humilis

Plant Specifics

Form:	Tree
Size:	To 20 ft tall by To 10 ft wide
Life Span:	Long-lived perennial
Flower Color:	White
Fruit Color:	Black
Phenology:	Evergreen
Noted for:	Interesting foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Nice specimen plant. Slow growing.

Considerations:

This small tree appears to less likely to be killed by laurel wilt than Florida's other bays.. It is likely that it is too small to attract the beetle that spreads the disease.

Propagation:

Availability:

Light:

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

always floodedextremely dry

(Short very dry periods ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods)

Moisture Tolerance:

Short very dry periods ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.

Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.

Soil or other substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Acidic

Ecology

Wildlife:

Fruits dispersed by birds.

Insects:

Larval host plant for palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes) and spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) butterflies.
Attracts bees including Colletes brimleyi, C. nudus, Augochlora pura, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis metallica and Anthidiellum perplexum (Deyrup et al. 2002)

Native Habitats:

Dry sites. Scrub, high pine, scrubby sandhill.

Distribution and Planting Zones

Natural Range in Florida

USDA Zones

Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 8A 8B 9A 9B

USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures

Comments

General Comments:

Do not plant this plant unless you are absolutely sure that it is not infected by laurel wilt disease.