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Bucida buceras

Bucida buceras L.

Gregorywood, Florida , Oxhorn Bucida, Black Olive

Combretaceae (Indian Almond Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: BUBU

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), PR (N), VI (N)

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
Fruit Type: Drupe
Size Notes: Commonly 40 to 50 feet tall, 35 to 50 feet wide. May be up to about 75 feet tall.
Fruit: Black

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.

Growing Conditions

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

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW			FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

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: 2023-03-21
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