FNPS Plant Database

Suriana maritima

bay-cedar
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton (Curry Hammock State Park)

Nomenclature

Common Name:

bay-cedar

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Suriana maritima

Family:

Surianaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

6-10 (20) ft tall by 6-10 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow

Fruit Color:

black

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms year round. Slow growing and moderately-long lived (Nelson 2003).

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Hurricane Wind Resistance, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Hedge or specimen plant in coastal areas.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

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

â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– 

Not wet but not extremely dry ---to--- 1Stays wet

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salt.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

neutral to calcareous

Suitable to Grow In:

10A,10B,11

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



Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Caterpillars

Host plant for Martial Scrub Hairstreak ( Strymon martialis ) and Mallow Scrub Hairstreak ( Strymon istapa ).





A nectar plant for these and many other butterflies and bees.

Native Habitats:

Dunes, beaches, coastal scrub, sandy thickets.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Works well to control erosion (wind and water) on dunes.

Citations:

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp565 https://www.capecoral.net/Salt_tolerant_Plants_for_Florida.pdf



Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Institute for Regional Conservation (IRC). https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Surimari (salt tolerance)



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



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.


http://www.hear.org/pier/wra/pacific/suriana_maritima_htmlwra.htm (pollinators)

Request an update