Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
North America, Northeastern United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Ilex glabra, Ilex crenata, Ilex verticillata
Number of Varieties
13
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Coastal Regions, Lowland, Mountains, Subtropical climates, Suburban areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-155-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
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 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Ovate
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Birds
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
-
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
-
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
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Can be made into a herbal tea
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
ILEX glabra
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
American Pokeweed, Inkberry, Silberstein American Pokeweed
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
Inkberry
In German
Bursera simaruba
Inkberry
In French
Bursera simaruba
Inkberry
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
Inkberry
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
Inkberry
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
Inkberry
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
inkberry
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
Inkberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
-
Class
Eudicotyledones
-
Order
Sapindales
Aquifoliales
Family
Burseraceae
Phytolaccaceae
Genus
Bursera
Ilex
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
10600
1
27800
👆🏻