Sideroxylon foetidissimum
Mastic, False Mastic, Wild Olive
Sapotaceae
Also known as Mastichodendron foetidissimum
Plant Specifics
Form: | Tree | |
Size: | 30-60 (100) ft tall by 30-50 ft wide | |
Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
Flower Color: | Yellow | |
Fruit Color: | Yellow,orange | |
Phenology: | Evergreen | |
Noted for: | Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance |
Landscaping
Recommended Uses: | Shade tree. Can be used in settings such as parking lot edges, street tree, etc. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Propagation: | Seed, cuttings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Availability: | Native nurseries, Seed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Light: | Full Sun | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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(Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Moisture Tolerance: | Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Very long 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: | Lime rock, Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Soil pH: | Calcareous (high pH) |
Ecology
Wildlife: |
Povides good cover. Birds and small mammals are attracted to the fruit. | |
Insects: | Attracts insect pollinators | |
Native Habitats: | Tropical hammocks. |
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: | The fruits are edible raw, but the latex is very sticky. The wood is used for ship building in the West Indies. | |
General Comments: | Interesting buttressed trunks. |