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Chrysobalanus icaco

Cocoplum

Chrysobalanaceae

Coastal tropical Americas and West Africa

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 10–11

Overview

Chrysobalanus icaco is an evergreen shrub or small tree reaching 3-20 feet (1-6 m) depending on form, with two forms: an upright inland form growing to 20 feet (6 m) and a low spreading coastal form held under 6 feet (1.8 m). The rounded to oval leaves are leathery and glossy, 1.5-3 inches (4-8 cm) long, emerging red-tinged and aging to dark green. Small white five-petaled flowers form in branched clusters at the leaf axils. The fruit is a rounded drupe 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) across, ripening from white through pink to dark purple, with white cottony flesh around a single ribbed seed; both the flesh and the kernel are edible. The species tolerates salt spray, brief flooding, and sandy nutrient-poor soils, which restricts its natural range to coastal dunes, hammocks, and marsh edges. It grows in USDA zones 10-11 and does not tolerate frost, limiting cultivation to southern Florida and frost-free tropics. Growth is slow to moderate, and plants respond to shearing, making them frequent in clipped coastal hedges. Branches root where they touch moist sand, allowing the coastal form to spread laterally into colonies.

Native Range

Chrysobalanus icaco occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts of the Americas, from southern Florida and the Caribbean through Central America to northern South America, and also in coastal West Africa. In the United States it is restricted to the southern Florida coast.

Suggested Uses

Grown as a salt-tolerant hedge, screen, and dune stabilizer in coastal southern Florida and frost-free tropical gardens. The low coastal form is planted as a groundcover on sandy slopes, while the upright form serves as an informal screen or small specimen. Fruit is eaten fresh or made into jam.

How to Identify

Identify C. icaco by its rounded leathery leaves with a notched or rounded tip and red-tinged new growth. The pale bark and zigzag branching carry clusters of small white flowers and rounded fruit that shift from white to pink to purple-black. The coastal form hugs the ground and roots along its stems, while the inland form stands upright as a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 20'

Width/Spread3' - 15'

Reaches mature size in approximately 5 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~12 weeks

Spring Summer

Small white flowers appear in flushes through much of the year in frost-free climates, with peaks in spring and summer. Fruit ripens two to three months after flowering, so plants often carry flowers and fruit at the same time.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Glossy dark green, red-tinged when young

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-12 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 Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

3-5 years to fruiting

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow C. icaco in full sun to part shade in sandy, free-draining soil; it withstands salt spray and brief saltwater flooding. Established plants tolerate drought, though regular moisture speeds growth and fruiting. It grows only in USDA zones 10-11 and is damaged below freezing. Light spring feeding helps where growth is weak, as the species is adapted to low-nutrient coastal sands. Plants tolerate shearing and recover from hard pruning, which is why they are grown as maintained hedges.

Pruning

Shear or prune C. icaco in spring and summer during active growth; it tolerates repeated clipping into formal shapes. Hard renovation pruning resprouts readily from old wood. Pruning in cool months slows regrowth and can expose new shoots to cold damage.

Pruning Schedule

late springsummer