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Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Lyonia ferruginea

Lyonia ferruginea (Walter) Nutt.

Rusty Staggerbush, Dragon Tree, Tree Lyonia, Staggerbush

Ericaceae (Heath Family)

Synonym(s): Xolisma ferruginea

USDA Symbol: LYFE

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Evergreen shrub or small tree with crooked trunk, irregular crown, and tiny, nearly round flowers.

This tree is often called "Staggerbush" because of its crooked trunks. The Latin species name, meaning "rust-colored," refers to the leaf lower surfaces.

From the Image Gallery

5 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Usually found as a shrub up to about 15 feet tall. Sometimes grows as a tree, up to about 35 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: FL , GA , SC
Native Distribution: Extreme S. South Carolina, SE. Georgia, and Florida; to 300' (91 m).
Native Habitat: Sandy soils of mixed woods and on dunes.

National Wetland Indicator Status

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

Bibliography

Bibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. Wasowski

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Web Reference

Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic Botany
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

Research Literature

Reslit 2613 - Evolutionary studies in the Ericaceae. II. Leaf anatomy as a phylogenetic index in the Andromedeae (1964) K. Lems

This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
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Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-03
Research By: TWC Staff

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