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Sideroxylon tenax
Sideroxylon tenax L.
Tough Bully, Tough Buckthorn
Sapotaceae (Sapodilla Family)
Synonym(s): Bumelia lacuum, Bumelia megacocca, Bumelia tenax
USDA Symbol: SITE2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Tough Bully or Tough Buckthorn is a shrub or tree to 35 ft. with tough, flexible twigs. Narrowly oval leaves have a dense coat of silvery to rusty-brown hairs on the undersides. Tubular, white flowers, in axillary clusters, are followed by drupe-like, black berries.
This very local species was discovered in South Carolina by Alexander Garden (1728-91); he sent a specimen to Linnaeus, who named it in 1767. The common and scientific names both refer to the tough branches.
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 35 feet, often shorter.
Fruit: Purplish black.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: WhiteBloom Time: May , Jun
Distribution
USA: FL , GA , NC , SCNative Distribution: Coastal Plain from SC to FL
Native Habitat: Sandy pinelands; dunes; maritime woods
Growing Conditions
Light Requirement: Part ShadeSoil Description: Sandy soils.
Propagation
Description: Propagate with treated seed sown into flats or outdoor beds in the fall. Softwood cuttings root easily.Seed Collection: Gather fruits in fall when filled out, soft, and blue-black. Seeds can be cleaned or air-dryed with the pulp on before storage. Store in refrigerated, sealed containers for up to one year.
Seed Treatment: Scarify in concentrated sulfuric acid for 20 min. followed by stratification for 30-60 days at 41 degrees.
Commercially Avail: yes
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 7 - Research Needs and Logistic Impediments in Restoration, Enhancement, and Management Projects: A Survey of Land Managers (2010) C. R. Adams and N. M. SteigerwaltThis information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
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Additional resources
USDA: Find Sideroxylon tenax in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Sideroxylon tenax in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Sideroxylon tenax
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-05-16Research By: TWC Staff