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Plant Profile

Bursera simaruba (Turpentine tree, Gumbo-limbo)

Native to South Florida, the Gumbo-limbo tree is a large semi evergreen tree that can reach up to 20m in height but in landscape plantings it often reaches 8-12m. The bark is of a coppery color which gives an attractive and shiny appearance. The wood of the trees was once used for making carousel horses before they moved on to the plastic kind. The fruit needs a year to ripen and matures in the summer. 

 

 

  • Landscape Information
  • Botanical Description
  • Horticulture Management
  • By Louise Wolff (darina) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth! (Gumbo limbo - Bursera simaruba) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada (Bursera simaruba) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Pancrat (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Pancrat (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Pancrat (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Louise Wolff (darina) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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  • French Name: Bois d'encens

    Pronunciation: ber-SER-uh sim-uh-ROO-buh

  • Plant type: Tree

  • Origin: North America

  • Heat Zones: 10 to 15

    Hardiness Zones: 10 to 13

  • Uses: Specimen, Shade, Medicinal, Wildlife, Street, Pollution Tolerant / Urban

  • Size/Shape

    Growth Rate: Moderate

    Tree Shape: Round

    Canopy Symmetry: Irregular

    Canopy Density: Open

    Canopy Texture: Medium

    Height at Maturity: 8 to 15 m, 15 to 23 m, Over 23

    Spread at Maturity: 8 to 10 meters, 10 to 15 meters

    Time to Ultimate Height: More than 50 Years

  • By Louise Wolff (darina) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth! (Gumbo limbo - Bursera simaruba) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada (Bursera simaruba) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Pancrat (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Pancrat (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Pancrat (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Louise Wolff (darina) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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  • Foliage

    Leaf Arrangement : Alternate

    Leaf Venation: Pinnate

    Leaf Persistance: Semi Evergreen

    Leaf Type: Odd Pinnately compund

    Leaf Blade: 5 - 10 cm

    Leaf Shape: Ovate

    Leaf Margins: Entire

    Leaf Texture: Medium

    Leaf Scent: Pleasant

    Color(growing season): Green

    Color(changing season): Green

  • Flower

    Flower Showiness: Yes

    Flower Size Range: 3 - 7

    Flower Type: Panicle

    Flower Sexuality: Monoecious (Bisexual)

    Flower Scent: No Fragance

    Flower Color: Green, Yellow

    Seasons: Spring

  • Trunk

    Trunk Susceptibility to Breakage: Suspected to breakage

    Number of Trunks: Multi-Trunked, Can be trained to one trunk

    Trunk esthetic Values: Showy, Fissured, Colored

  • Fruit

    Fruit Type: Fleshy

    Fruit Showiness: Yes

    Fruit Size Range: 0 - 1.5, 1.5 - 3

    Fruit Color: Red

    Seasons: Spring

  • By Louise Wolff (darina) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth! (Gumbo limbo - Bursera simaruba) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada (Bursera simaruba) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Pancrat (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Pancrat (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Pancrat (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Louise Wolff (darina) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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  • Tolerance

    Frost Tolerant: No

    Heat Tolerance: Yes

    Drought Tolerance: Yes

    Salt Tolerance: Good

  • Requirements

    Soil Requirements: Clay, Loam, Sand

    Soil Ph Requirements: Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline

    Water Requirements: Moderate, Low

    Light Requirements: Full, Part, Shade

  • Management

    Invasive Potential: No

    Susceptibility to Pests and Diseases: No

    Pruning Requirements: Little needed, to develop a strong structure

    Fruit/ Leaves/ Flowers litter: No

    Surface Rooting: Yes

    Life Span: More than 50

    Edible Parts: None

    Pests: Scales, Whitefly

    Plant Propagation: Seed, Cutting

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