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Bucida buceras L.

Gregorywood, Florida , Oxhorn Bucida

Combretaceae (West Indies-Almond Family)

USDA Symbol: BUBU

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Black olive is a 40 to 50-foot-tall evergreen tree with a smooth trunk holding up strong, wind-resistant branches, forming a pyramidal shape when young but developing a very dense, full, oval to rounded crown with age. Sometimes the top of the crown will flatten with age, and the tree grows horizontally. The dark bluish-green, leathery leaves are two to four inches long and clustered at branch tips mixed with the 0.5 to 1.5-inch-long spines found along the branches.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate , Whorled
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Oblanceolate , Obovate
Leaf Venation: Pinnate
Leaf Margin: Entire
Inflorescence: Spike
Size Notes: 40 to 50 feet tall, 35 to 50 feet wide.
Fruit: Black
Size Class: 36-72 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: FL
Native Distribution: Claimed to be native to the upper Florida Keys, but that is disputed.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), PR(N), VI(N)

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist
Drought Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Rich, moist, well-drained soil.

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Bucida buceras in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Bucida buceras in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Bucida buceras

Metadata

Record Modified: 2008-10-22
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