Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Fruit
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Africa
Types
Guaiacum officinale
-
Number of Varieties
31
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
Cultivated Beds, Fields, Waste areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-4
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
Yellow, Green, Yellow green, Light Green
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
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Over-watering can cause leaf problems or root diseases, Requires regular watering
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
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full 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
Aphids, Bacterial fruit blotch, Cabbage looper, Cucumber mosaic, Cutworms, 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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Nutrients, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Sap
Fruits
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
CUCUMIS melo 'Lambkin'
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
Christmas Melon, Piel de Sapo
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
Piel de sapo
In German
Lignum Vitae
Piel de sapo
In French
Lignum Vitae
Piel de sapo
In Spanish
Palo santo
Piel de sapo
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
Piel de sapo
In Portuguese
pau-santo
Piel de sapo
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
Piel de sapo
In Latin
lignum Vitae
Piel de sapo
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Violales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Guaiacum
Cucumis
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Benincaseae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
310
1
27800
👆🏻