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lancewood

Nectandra coriacea · Lauraceae

lancewood (Nectandra coriacea)
Photo: Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth! · CC BY-SA · via Wikimedia Commons

lancewood (Nectandra coriacea) is a perennial tree in the Lauraceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 9 and warmer, down to about 25°F.

At a glance

Typetree Derived
Lifecycleperennial USDA
Native statusnative USDA
Mature height25 ft USDA
Lightshade USDA
Growth ratemoderate USDA
Soil pH5.6–8.5 USDA
BloomJune USDA
Flower colorWhite USDA
Hardiness zones9 and warmer USDA
Guild layerunderstory 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 medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5.6 to 8.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 9.

Size and growth

At maturity it reaches about 25 ft, making it a substantial woody plant. It grows at a moderate rate.

Bloom period

USDA records a bloom period of June. Flowers are white.

A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.

Foliage, flower and season

Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is fall. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.

What the site needs to provide

USDA records it across sites receiving 39 to 80 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 36 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.

Resilience and wildlife

Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated medium. Its growth form is recorded as single crown.

Role in a guild

Understory. In a layered planting this is the layer beneath the canopy, tall enough to hold structure but shaded from above. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.

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Tags

evergreendrought-tolerantsandy-soilnativeshade-tolerant

Related plants

Similar role and hardiness

Where this data comes from

Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol NECO, 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.

Read our full data sources and methodology.

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