Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Guaiacum officinale
-
Number of Varieties
310
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-156-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
10-6
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Thicket/Colonizing
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
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
Bronze, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Oblanceolate to oval
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
Very Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Wet Site
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, Needs Very high moisture
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
-
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Borders
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent, Styptic
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Sap
Bark, Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Foundation, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
CYRILLA racemiflora
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
Leatherwood, Ironwood, Myrtle
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
Leatherwood
In German
Lignum Vitae
Leather
In French
Lignum Vitae
Leatherwood
In Spanish
Palo santo
Leatherwood
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
Leatherwood
In Portuguese
pau-santo
Leatherwood
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
Leatherwood
In Latin
lignum Vitae
Leatherwood
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Ericales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Cyrillaceae
Genus
Guaiacum
Cyrilla
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
35
1
27800
👆🏻