Has shiny, stiff leaves 2.5 to 5 inches long. Often used as a hedge plant. Fast growing. Can also work as an individual specimen. A good choice for d , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt , Wildlife, Dense foliage can be good bird nesting habitat.  Fruits are dispersed by wind. , Habitat, Dry sites near the coast. Hammocks and pinelands. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts pollinators.

Specimen plant, thicket, or natural background plantings. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. , Habitat, Upland hardwood forests, flatwoods, by swamps, bluffs, slope forests, secondary woods. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators, especially bumble bees. , Did You Know?

May need trimming to form a single trunk tree for landscaping. Makes an excellent specimen tree due to the corky wings on its twigs. Older speciments , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Susceptible to the Dutch elm disease  (not a problem in Florida). Has a shallow root system , Wildlife, Important early spring food for songbirds. , Habitat, Floodplains, slopes, well-drained forests. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for the question mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis)