Byrsonima spp.

byrsonima

Malpighiaceae Tropical and subtropical America

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 9–11

Overview

Byrsonima spp. is a genus of about 130-170 species of evergreen and semi-evergreen trees and shrubs in the Malpighiaceae, native to tropical and subtropical America. Plants range from low shrubs to trees 13-50 feet (4-15 m) tall, with leathery, opposite leaves 2-8 inches (5-20 cm) long that are often rusty-hairy beneath. Flowers are borne in erect terminal racemes and open yellow to orange, many aging to red or pink; each has five clawed petals on a slender stalk. The fruit is a rounded drupe 0.4-1 inch (1-2.5 cm) across that ripens yellow to orange with thin, sweet-acid pulp; in B. crassifolia, the nance, it is gathered for drinks, preserves, and fermented beverages. Many species are typical of seasonally dry savanna and cerrado, tolerating poor, acidic, often aluminum-rich soils and periodic fire, while others grow in moist lowland and gallery forest. The genus is frost-tender and restricted to warm climates. Fallen fruit drops heavily beneath cultivated trees and can create litter near paving, the main drawback in garden use.

Native Range

Native to tropical and subtropical America, from southern Mexico, Florida, and the Caribbean through Central America to Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Species grow in savanna, cerrado, coastal scrub, and lowland forest, often on poor, acidic, well-drained soils.

Suggested Uses

Used as a small shade or specimen tree and in savanna-style and wildlife plantings, where the long-flowering racemes draw bees and the fruit feeds birds and mammals. B. crassifolia is grown as a fruit tree in tropical America. Smaller, shrubby species are used in native coastal and pineland gardens.

How to Identify

Identify Byrsonima spp. by its leathery, opposite leaves, frequently rust-colored and hairy on the underside, and its upright terminal racemes of five-petaled flowers with narrow, claw-like petal bases. Flowers open yellow to orange and commonly age to red or pink, so a single raceme often shows several colors at once. The rounded yellow-orange drupes and the clawed petals separate it from other small tropical trees.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 50'

Width/Spread10' - 30'

Colors

Flower Colors

red

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering peaks in spring and early summer across most of the range, with some species blooming intermittently through the wet season. The color shift from yellow to red along each raceme gives an extended display as successive flowers open. Fruit ripens in summer to autumn, a few months after bloom.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

yellow to orange, aging red or pink

Foliage Description

dark green above, rusty-hairy beneath

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range4.5 - 6.5(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

4-8 years to fruiting

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Byrsonima spp. are grown in full sun to light shade in well-drained sandy or loamy soils, and most species accept poor, acidic ground. Young plants are watered regularly until established, after which many savanna species tolerate seasonal drought. The genus is frost-tender, suited to roughly USDA zones 9b-11, and is damaged by frost. Growth is slow to moderate, and trees may take several years to begin fruiting. Propagation is from seed, which germinates slowly and unevenly, or from cuttings and air layers. The main drawbacks in cultivation are slow establishment and the litter of dropped fruit.

Pruning

Pruning is light, removing crossing, damaged, or low branches to shape young trees in late winter or early spring. Shrubby species can be cut back to keep them dense. Little routine pruning is needed once a framework is formed.