Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
13
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
460.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Egg-shaped
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
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
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
Red blotch
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
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
Showy Purposes
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
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
Lignum Vitae
In German
Bursera simaruba
Lignum Vitae
In French
Bursera simaruba
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
Palo santo
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
pau-santo
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Sapindales
Family
Burseraceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Bursera
Guaiacum
Clade
Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
103
1
27800
👆🏻