Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Tree
Origin
North America
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
-
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
703
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies, Woodlands
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-810-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21
H1, H2
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
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
-
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lanceolate
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
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
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
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
Cercospora leaf spot, Downy mildew, Leafminers, Nematodes, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Septoria leaf spot
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
Flowers
Showy
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
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Caterpillar, Flying insects, Insects
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Diarrhea, Stomach aliments
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
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, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
PHLOX paniculata
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Garden Phlox, Tall Phlox
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Fall Phlox
Lignum Vitae
In German
fall phlox
Lignum Vitae
In French
Fall Phlox
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Fall Phlox
Palo santo
In Greek
Fall Phlox
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Fall Phlox
pau-santo
In Polish
Fall Phlox
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Phlox cadent
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Sapindales
Family
Polemoniaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Phlox
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
673
1
27800
👆🏻