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Eugenia axillaris
Eugenia axillaris (Sw.) Willd.
White Stopper
Myrtaceae (Myrtle Family)
Synonym(s): Eugenia anthera, Myrtus axillaris
USDA Symbol: EUAX
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), PR (N), VI (N)
White Stopper is a small, evergreen tree or shrub, 20-30 ft. tall, with a slender trunk and well-shaped crown. New leaves are bright red but turn glossy, dark-green on the upper surface as they develop. Small, fragrant, inconspicuous, white flowers arise from leaf axils and are followed by 1/2 in. diameter berries ripening from green to black.
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 30 feet tall, often much shorter.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: WhiteBloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec
Bloom Notes: May flower year-round. Peak flowering season is spring and summer.
Distribution
USA: FLNative Distribution: S. FL Gulf Coast
Native Habitat: Coastal hammocks & sandy areas; rarely inland
Growing Conditions
Light Requirement: Part ShadeSoil Description: Sandy soils.
Conditions Comments: Blooms intermittently all year, though the primary bloom period is summer.
Benefit
Attracts: ButterfliesButterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
Tantalus sphinx (Aellopos tantalus) Adult Food Source |
Propagation
Description: White stopper can be grown from seed. Seed takes several weeks to germinate.Commercially Avail: yes
Bibliography
Bibref 1186 - Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.Bibref 1185 - Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
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Web Reference
Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic BotanyWebref 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
Research Literature
Reslit 695 - Responses of twelve tree species common in Everglades tree islands to simulated hydrologic regimes (2006) D. T. Jones, J. P. Sah, M. S. Ross, S. F. Oberbaue...Reslit 1786 - The taxonomic significance of leaf micromorphology in the genus Eugenia L (Myrtaceae) (1996) N. W. Haron and D. M. Moore
This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
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Additional resources
USDA: Find Eugenia axillaris in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Eugenia axillaris in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Eugenia axillaris
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-04-18Research By: TWC Staff