gumbo limbo
Bursera simaruba · Burseraceae
gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba) is a perennial tree in the Burseraceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 11 and warmer, down to about 40°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 40 ft USDA |
| Light | shade USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 6–7 USDA |
| Bloom | March–May USDA |
| Flower color | Green USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 11 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | canopy Derived |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It tolerates full shade. Its drought tolerance is rated high. It is recorded on soils from pH 6 to 7 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 11.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 40 ft, making it a substantial woody plant. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through May. Flowers are green.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, medium in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring.
What the site needs to provide
It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 36 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed and cuttings. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period.
Resilience and wildlife
It can resprout after its top growth is damaged, so it tolerates being cut back hard.
Role in a guild
Canopy. In a layered planting this is the tallest layer of a planting — it sets the light budget everything beneath it lives on. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- Alexandrian laurel Calophyllum inophyllum
- stinkingtoe Hymenaea courbaril
- mammee apple Mammea americana
- Sierran palm Prestoea acuminata
- Puerto Rico royal palm Roystonea borinquena
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol BUSI, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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