Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
North America, United States, Northwestern United States, Alaska, California, Canada
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
-
Number of Varieties
130
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Lowland evergreen rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-154-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
7-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
460.00 cm1,370.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Yellow, Red, Coral
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
Early Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Maritime exposure, Salt water
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Layering, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
Average Water Needs
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Maritime exposure, Salt water
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Insects
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
-
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Anodyne, Appetizer, Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Flowers, Inner Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used as a dye, used for making charcoal, Used for making informal hedge
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
ALNUS rubra
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Oregon Alder, Red Alder
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
red alder
In German
Bursera simaruba
rot-Erle
In French
Bursera simaruba
aulne rouge
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
aliso rojo
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
κόκκινη σκλήθρα
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
amieiro vermelho
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
czerwony olcha
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
red alnus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Fagales
Family
Burseraceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Bursera
Alnus
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1035
1
27800
👆🏻