FNPS Plant Database

Torreya taxifolia

Florida torreya
  • Photo by: Paul Rebmann, Pawpaw Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Paul Rebmann, Pawpaw Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Paul Rebmann, Pawpaw Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

Florida torreya

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Torreya taxifolia

Family:

Taxaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Tree

Size:

12–36 ft tall by 6–10 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

Fruit Color:

blue, purple

Phenology:

Evergreen

Noted For:

Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen tree.

Considerations:

Disease. Do not plant in areas where the species grows naturally due to disease -- this means avoiding the bluffs along the Apalachicola River.

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Seed. Some native nurseries carry seed-grown plants from out-of-state nurseries. Do not plant unless you can verify that the seedlings are disease-free.

Light:

Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

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

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

Slightly acidic to neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B

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

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Birds

Birds eat seeds.

Native Habitats:

Slope forest, upland hardwood forest. Rich wooded ravines

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

In the wild, Torreya is dying out due to disease. If choosing to plant this species, obtain disease-free (out-of-state) specimens and plant well-removed from the Apalachicola River so that the planted specimens will not become infected. This is a federally endangered species, it cannot be transplanted or transported without landowner permission and/or appropriate permits. There are also issues with planting this since the disease is easily transmittable (Chapman 2019). Bottom line, this is not something to do without consulting conservation specialists. To participate in FNPS restoration and protection efforts for this species, see http://torreyakeepers.fnps.org.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Chafin, L. G. (2000). Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida. Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee, FL.


Chapman, Dan. (2019). Saving the Florida Torreya: One goal, two schools of thought on preserving the rare, endangered tree. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Watkins, John and Thomas Sheehan. (1975). Florida Landscape Plants, Native and Exotic. University Presses of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Wikipedia. (2005+). Torreya taxifolia. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torreya_taxifolia ). Accessed 2026.

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