Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Alaska, Canada
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Ornamental Tree
Number of Varieties
130
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Slopes, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-152-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
7-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
460.00 cm1,520.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Light Yellow, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
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
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
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
Requires regular watering
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
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
-
Edible Uses
Sometimes
Sometimes
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Cold, Cough, Gout, Laxative, Rheumatism, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Leaves, Wood
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Animal Feed, Sometimes used for making wine
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
BETULA papyrifera
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Paper Birch
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
Paper birch
In German
Bursera simaruba
Papierbirke
In French
Bursera simaruba
Le bouleau à papier
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
abedul de papel
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
σημύδα χαρτί
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
vidoeiro de papel
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
brzoza papieru
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
Paper betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Fagales
Family
Burseraceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Bursera
Betula
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1060
1
27800
👆🏻