Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Tree
Origin
Europe
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
-
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
63
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
dry rocky watercourses
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
H1, H2
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
71.10 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Blue Violet, Lavender, Purple, White
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Sea Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Sea Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Sea Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lanceolate to elliptical
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Rhizome division
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Consistently
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Bacterial leaf spot, Billbugs, Borers, Fungal leaf spots
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Gastric disturbances, Skin irritation
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Juice of fresh root used for treatment of dropsy
-
Part of Plant Used
Root
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Making Perfumes, Used as a flavouring in food
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
Iris germanica
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
German Iris
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
German Iris
Lignum Vitae
In German
German Iris
Lignum Vitae
In French
German Iris
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
German Iris
Palo santo
In Greek
German Iris
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
German Iris
pau-santo
In Polish
German Iris
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
German Iris
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Sapindales
Family
Iridaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Iris
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
-
Tribe
Irideae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
-
Number of Species
3003
1
27800
👆🏻