Life Span
Perennial
Annual
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
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Slopes, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
2-7
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
Flower Color
Ivory
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Not Available
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
Not Available
Leaf Shape
Compound
Egg-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Not Available
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
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 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
Flower Petal Number
Single
Not Available
Fragrant Bark/Stem
Yes
No
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Not Available
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Not Available
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Not Available
Edible Uses
Sometimes
Sometimes
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification
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
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
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
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Family
Burseraceae
Betulaceae
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Not Available
Not Available
Subfamily
Not Available
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Not Available
Importance of Gumbo Limbo and Paper Birch
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Gumbo Limbo and Paper Birch. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Gumbo Limbo and Paper Birch as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Gumbo Limbo is Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and Headache whereas of Paper Birch is Cold, Cough, Gout, Laxative, Rheumatism and Wounds. Gumbo Limbo has beauty benefits as follows: Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics and Removes pimples while Paper Birch has beauty benefits as follows: Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics and Removes pimples.
Compare Facts of Gumbo Limbo vs Paper Birch
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Gumbo Limbo vs Paper Birch and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Gumbo Limbo are allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching and Vomiting whereas of Paper Birch have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Gumbo Limbo has showy fruits and Paper Birch has no showy fruits. Also Gumbo Limbo is not flowering and Paper Birch is not flowering . You can compare Gumbo Limbo and Paper Birch facts and facts of other plants too.