Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Tree
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Africa, Southern Africa
Types
Guaiacum officinale
Drakensberg sugarbush, Clanwilliam sugarbush, The Wagon tree
Number of Varieties
31600
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1510-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
H1, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm91.44 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm91.44 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Fall, Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
All year
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Requires a lot of 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, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune to stimulate growth
Pinch Tips, Remove branches, 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
-
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
-
-
Foliage Texture
Fine
-
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Flying insects, Insects
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Cough, Diarrhea, Stomach Ulcers
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Sap
Flowers
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
PROTEA
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
Protea, Waboom, Wagon Tree
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
Protea plant
In German
Lignum Vitae
Protea Pflanze
In French
Lignum Vitae
usine de Protea
In Spanish
Palo santo
planta de protea
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
φυτό Protea
In Portuguese
pau-santo
planta Protea
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
Protea roślin
In Latin
lignum Vitae
Protea herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Proteales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Proteaceae
Genus
Guaiacum
Protea
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Proteae
Subfamily
-
Proteoideae
Number of Species
31600
1
27800
👆🏻