sandbox tree
Hura crepitans · Euphorbiaceae
sandbox tree (Hura crepitans) is a perennial tree in the Euphorbiaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 10 and warmer, down to about 32°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 70 ft USDA |
| Light | shade USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 6–8 USDA |
| Bloom | March–May USDA |
| Flower color | Red USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 10 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 low. It is recorded on soils from pH 6 to 8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 10.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 70 ft, making it a large tree that will dominate its site. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through May. Flowers are red.
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 spring.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 35 to 150 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.
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
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its growth form is recorded as single crown.
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
- koa Acacia koa
- cabbagebark tree Andira inermis
- gregorywood Bucida buceras
- royal poinciana Delonix regia
- yellow mombin Spondias mombin
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol HUCR, 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, browse palatability, 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 form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Toxicity, Type.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
Find more plants for your zone with the Plant Finder.