Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Southeastern Asia
Types
Guaiacum officinale
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Number of Varieties
3200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1510-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
Dark Green, Ivory
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
V-Shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
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, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Prune to stimulate growth
-
Fertilizers
Fertilize three times a year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Pests and Diseases
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Allergy
Skin irritation
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Sap
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
Elephant Ear, Taro
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
अरवी
In German
Lignum Vitae
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
In French
Lignum Vitae
Colocasia
In Spanish
Palo santo
Colocasia
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
Colocasia
In Portuguese
pau-santo
Colocasia
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
Kolokazja
In Latin
lignum Vitae
Colocasia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Arales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Araceae
Genus
Guaiacum
Alocasia
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
-
Aroideae
Number of Species
310
1
27800
👆🏻