Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Europe, Russia
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Symphytum officinale (common comfrey), Symphytum asperum (rough comfrey)
Number of Varieties
12
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Cold Regions, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-156-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
460.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Red, Green, Copper
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Red, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Root Division, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Water daily during growing season
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, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
14-14-14 Fertilizer, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Stem spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shallow soil, Sun
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Ants, Butterflies, pollinators
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Antibacterial, Peripheral Edema
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Acne, Beautiful Skin, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification, Fixes Nitrogen
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Asthma, Diarrhea, Obesity, Osteoarthritis
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Leaves, Twigs
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
Symphytum asperum
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Comfrey,Black Root, Blackwort, Bruisewort
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
Blackwort
In German
Bursera simaruba
Blackwort
In French
Bursera simaruba
Blackwort
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
Blackwort
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
Blackwort
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
Blackwort
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
Blackwort
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
Blackwort
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Lamiales
Family
Burseraceae
Boraginaceae
Genus
Bursera
Symphytum
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Boraginoideae
Number of Species
1035
1
27800
👆🏻