Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Western United States, Mexico
Types
Guaiacum officinale
-
Number of Varieties
3-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-154-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
11-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Magenta, Rose, Burgundy, Bronze
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
Several shades of Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Consistently
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Moderate
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
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
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
Showy
Showy
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Birds
Allergy
Skin irritation
Digestive Problems
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Diabetes, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Sap
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Jam
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
CYLINDROPUNTIA imbricata
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
Cane Cholla, Walking Stick Cholla, Tree Cholla, Chainlink Cactus
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
Cardenche
In German
Lignum Vitae
Cardenche
In French
Lignum Vitae
Cactus rustique
In Spanish
Palo santo
Cardenche
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
Cardenche
In Portuguese
pau-santo
Cardenche
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
Cardenche
In Latin
lignum Vitae
Cardenche
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Dicotyledonae
Order
Sapindales
Caryophyllales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Guaiacum
-
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae, Maihueniodeae, Opuntioideae, Pereskioideae
Number of Species
3-
1
27800
👆🏻