Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Alaskan blueberry, Lowbush blueberry, New Jersey blueberry
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
203
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-10
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
243.84 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.96 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Blue, Black
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, 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
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in early spring, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Ammonia sulphate, In Late summer, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Potassium sulphate
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
-
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
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Pollen
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin and hair, Speed hair growth, Weightloss
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Pectoral
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Used in making tea
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
SYMPLOCOS martinicensis
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Blue Berry, Horse Sugar, Martinique Sweetleaf, Whitewood
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Blue Berry Tree
Lignum Vitae
In German
Blue Berry Baum
Lignum Vitae
In French
Bleu Berry Tree
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Árbol de la baya azul
Palo santo
In Greek
Μπλε δέντρο μούρων
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Árvore Berry Azul
pau-santo
In Polish
Niebieski Berry Drzewo
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Berry lignum blue
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ebenales
Sapindales
Family
Symplocaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Symplocos
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
3003
1
27800
👆🏻