Sideroxylon tenax
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Tough Buckthorn, Tough Bully
Sapotaceae
Also known as Bumelia tenax
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Tree | |
| Size: | 12-30 ft tall by to 20 ft wide | |
| Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | White | |
| Fruit Color: | Black | |
| Phenology: | Evergreen (south) or deciduous (north). Flowers in summer. Fruits ripen in summer or fall. Life span 50+ yrs (Nelson 2003). | |
| Noted for: | Interesting foliage, Thorns |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Hedge plant, specimen plant, woodland plant. Plant where the silky brown/gold undersides of the foliage will be seen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Considerations: | Plant where it will have space. While many specimens in natural scrub settings are slow growing, this plant can be a robust growing in the landscape. Expect it to grow into a small tree. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Seed, cuttings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Native nurseries, FNPS plant sales, Seed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Not wet but not extremely dry ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Not wet but not extremely dry ----- 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: | Adaptable | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
Birds and other animals eat the fruit. | |
| Insects: | Nectar plant for butterflies. Attracts bees and flies. A pollinator magnate. Watching insects swarm over my tough bully trees is one of my summertime treats. | |
| Native Habitats: | Sandhill, scrub. |
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: | This plant is easy to grow. Weak wood. |