Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tree
Origin
Southern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
13
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Well Drained
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 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
370.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
300.00 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Cuttings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the Soil well drained, Requires watering in the growing season
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
Prune in spring, Remove branches, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in spring, fertilize in summer, organic fertlizers
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
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
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Asthma
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Respiratory Disorders, Soothing and relieving pain
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Making Perfumes, Traditional medicine, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
CITRUS medica var. sarcodactylis
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Buddha's Hand, Fingered Citron
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Buddha's Hand
Tree
Lignum Vitae
In German
Buddhas Hand
Baum
Lignum Vitae
In French
Main de Bouddha
Arbre
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Mano de Buda
Árbol
Palo santo
In Greek
Χέρι του Βούδα
Δέντρο
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Mão de Buda
Árvore
pau-santo
In Polish
Ręka Buddy
Drzewo
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Buddha manus
Arbor
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Sapindales
Family
Rutaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Citrus
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
13
1
27800
👆🏻