Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Eastern Asia, Malaysia
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Number of Varieties
1150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
gardens, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1511-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
Bushy, Evergreen
Plant Size
Minimum Height
460.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Red, Green, Purple
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Damp
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
Requires a lot of watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Ample Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Damp
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
cut main flower spike, Cut or pinch the stems
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Full-strength liquid fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Downy mildew, Red blotch, Stem rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification, Provides ground cover, Soil protection, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Asthma, Glaucoma, High blood pressure, Liver Protection, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Coleus, Painted nettle
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
Coleus
In German
Bursera simaruba
Buntnessel
In French
Bursera simaruba
Vieux garçon
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
coleo
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
Coleus
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
cóleus
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
Coleus
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
Coleus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Lamiales
Family
Burseraceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Bursera
Coleus
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
10150
1
27800
👆🏻