Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Grass
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Mediterranean, Northern Africa
Types
Guaiacum officinale
Erianthus ravennae, Saccharum ravennae
Number of Varieties
3190
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
marshes, Riverbanks
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-156-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
9 - 6
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
1, 2, 3, 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
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Purple, Silver
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
Purple
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
White, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
Purple, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
Purple, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Late Summer, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Vegetative
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Water once every two or three weeks
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
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune to stimulate growth
Cut back all stems to the same height
Fertilizers
Fertilize three times a year
0-10-10 NPK fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Drought, Edema
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Birds
Allergy
Skin irritation
Noxious Weed
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Borders, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Sap
Leaves
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Cultivated for fodder
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
SACCHARUM ravennae
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
Hardy Pampas Grass, Plume Grass, Ravennagrass
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
Plume Grass
In German
Lignum Vitae
Plume Gras
In French
Lignum Vitae
Plume Herbe
In Spanish
Palo santo
Penacho de hierba
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
Plume Grass
In Portuguese
pau-santo
Plume grama
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
Pióropusz Trawa
In Latin
lignum Vitae
Kessinger Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Lilopsida
Order
Sapindales
Cyperales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Guaiacum
Saccharum
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
3400
1
27800
👆🏻