Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Broadleaf Evergreen, Grass
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Mexico
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Otatea acuminata ssp. acuminata, Otatea acuminata ssp. aztecorum, Otatea acuminata 'Dwarf'
Number of Varieties
120
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Subtropical climates, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
10 - 7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 9, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
Weeping
Plant Size
Minimum Height
460.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Green, Yellow green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Long linear and narrow
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
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Divison
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
Average Water Needs, Never Over-water
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
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune every year, Prune to control growth, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Requires high amount of nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Mealybugs
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Mealybugs
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
Landscape Designing, 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, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
OTATEA acuminata
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Clumping Bamboo, Mexican Weeping Bamboo
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
मैक्सिकन बांस
In German
Bursera simaruba
Mexican Bambus
In French
Bursera simaruba
Bamboo mexicaine
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
bambú mexicana
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
Μεξικού μπαμπού
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
Bamboo Mexican
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
Mexican Bamboo
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
Mexicanus Bamboo
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
-
Class
Eudicotyledones
-
Order
Sapindales
Poales
Family
Burseraceae
Poaceae
Genus
Bursera
Otatea
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1055
1
27800
👆🏻