Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Sedge or Rush
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
North America
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Grass
Number of Varieties
15
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Lake margins, Lake Sides, Lakes
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
460.00 cm270.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Olive
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Sandy Brown
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Long linear and narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
occasional watering once established
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full 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
Aphids, Mealy bugs, Scale, Scale insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Itchiness
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
Abscess, Snakebite, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Rhizomes, Root, Seeds, Shoots, Stem
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Bog Garden, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
Schoenoplectus Tabernaemontani
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Grey Club-Rush, Great Bulrush, Softstem Bulrush
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
Softstem Bulrush
In German
Bursera simaruba
Softstem Bulrush
In French
Bursera simaruba
Softstem Bulrush
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
Softstem Bulrush
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
Softstem Bulrush
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
Softstem Bulrush
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
Softstem Bulrush
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
Softstem Bulrush
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Liliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Poales
Family
Burseraceae
Cyperaceae
Genus
Bursera
Schoenoplectus
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1035
1
27800
👆🏻