© Alison Northup, some rights reserved (CC-BY) · iNaturalist
Conocarpus spp.
buttonwood
Tropical and subtropical coasts of the Americas, Africa, and Arabia
Overview
Conocarpus is a small genus of two species of evergreen trees and large shrubs in the Combretaceae, growing on tropical and subtropical coasts. Conocarpus erectus, the buttonwood or button mangrove, lines shorelines of the Americas, the Caribbean, and West Africa, while C. lancifolius occurs around the Horn of Africa and southern Arabia. Across the genus, plants range from spreading shrubs about 10 feet (3 m) tall to trees near 60 feet (18 m), with a canopy spread of 15 to 30 feet (4.5 to 9 m). The leaves are alternate, leathery, and lance-shaped, 1 to 4 inches (2.5 to 10 cm) long, green in the typical form and silvery-haired in the variety sometimes called silver buttonwood. Tiny greenish flowers are packed into rounded, cone-like heads, which mature into clusters of small, button-like, reddish-brown fruits that give the plants their name. Both species are highly salt- and wind-tolerant and grow on sandy, rocky, and brackish coastal soils. They tolerate drought once established but are frost-sensitive, and C. erectus can become weedy outside its native range.
Native Range
Native to tropical and subtropical coasts: Conocarpus erectus ranges across the Americas, Caribbean, and West Africa, while C. lancifolius is native to the Horn of Africa and southern Arabia.Suggested Uses
Grown as coastal hedges, windbreaks, street and parking-lot trees, and shade trees on saline or reclaimed sites. The salt and wind tolerance suits seafront and exposed urban plantings.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height10' - 60'
Width/Spread15' - 30'
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Green to silvery-greyGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
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
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Both species grow in full sun on a wide range of soils, including sandy, rocky, and saline coastal ground, with pH from 6.0 to 8.5. Water needs are low to medium, and established plants tolerate drought, salt spray, and brackish water. The genus is frost-sensitive, hardy in roughly USDA zones 9 to 11. Plants withstand hard pruning and are often clipped as hedges or trained as multi-stemmed trees. In some regions C. erectus seeds freely and naturalises.Pruning
Plants tolerate regular clipping and can be maintained as formal hedges or shaped as small trees. Prune in the warm season to shape and to remove crossing or storm-damaged wood. Hard cuts resprout readily.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
summer
Container Growing
Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 15 gallons