Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Tree
Origin
North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
-
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
23
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-10
Sunset Zone
-
H1, H2
Habit
-
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Ivory, White
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
-
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Average Water Needs
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Consistently
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount, Fertilzer with low nitrogen content
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
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
Bold
Fine
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
-
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
Hatiora salicornioides
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
dancing bones cactus, drunkard's dream, spice cactus
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Hatiora
Lignum Vitae
In German
Hatiora
Lignum Vitae
In French
Hatiora
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Hatiora
Palo santo
In Greek
Hatiora
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Hatiora
pau-santo
In Polish
hatiora
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Hatiora
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Sapindales
Family
Cactaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Hatiora
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
Rhipsalideae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
33
1
27800
👆🏻