Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Mexico
Types
Guaiacum officinale
Pink cestrum, Red cestrum, Purple cestrum
Number of Varieties
3175
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
gardens, High elevation, Roadsides
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
H1, H2, 13, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Magenta, Crimson, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Consistently
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Moderate
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
Prune to stimulate growth
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Fertilize three times a year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Bonsai, Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Sap
Flowers, Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
CESTRUM elegans
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
Crimson cestrum, Elegant poison-berry, Purple cestrum, Red cestrum
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
Butterfly Flower plant
In German
Lignum Vitae
Schmetterlings-Blumen- Anlage
In French
Lignum Vitae
usine de fleur de papillon
In Spanish
Palo santo
planta de la flor de mariposa
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
φυτό Πεταλούδα λουλούδι
In Portuguese
pau-santo
planta de flor de borboleta
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
Motyl Kwiat roślin
In Latin
lignum Vitae
Flos plantae Gloria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Solanales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Guaiacum
Cestrum
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Cestreae
Subfamily
-
Browallioideae
Number of Species
3250
1
27800
👆🏻