Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Caribbean, Central America, South America, Brazil
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
-
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
-3
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical climates, subtropical regions
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
H1, H2
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
550.00 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory, Gray
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Magenta, Violet
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Cuneate
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Late Winter
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require regular watering
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
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
Red blotch
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Asthma
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Wood
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Used for woodware, Wood is used for making furniture
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
TRIPLARIS americana
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Ant Stick, Macaw, St. Mary's Stick
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Macaw
Lignum Vitae
In German
Ara
Lignum Vitae
In French
ara
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
guacamayo
Palo santo
In Greek
μακώ
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
arara
pau-santo
In Polish
ara
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Ara
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Sapindales
Family
Polygonaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Triplaris
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
-3
1
27800
👆🏻