Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Alaskan blueberry, Lowbush blueberry, New Jersey blueberry
Number of Varieties
120
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Dappled Shade, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
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
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
460.00 cm243.84 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm60.96 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
Dark Blue, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
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 in early spring, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Ammonia sulphate, In Late summer, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Potassium sulphate
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
-
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Birds
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Good for skin and hair, Speed hair growth, Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Astringent, Pectoral
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used in making tea
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
SYMPLOCOS martinicensis
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Blue Berry, Horse Sugar, Martinique Sweetleaf, Whitewood
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
Blue Berry Tree
In German
Bursera simaruba
Blue Berry Baum
In French
Bursera simaruba
Bleu Berry Tree
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
Árbol de la baya azul
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
Μπλε δέντρο μούρων
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
Árvore Berry Azul
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
Niebieski Berry Drzewo
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
Berry lignum blue
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Ebenales
Family
Burseraceae
Symplocaceae
Genus
Bursera
Symplocos
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
10300
1
27800
👆🏻