Bursera simaruba
A large semi-evergreen tree with resinous, coppery peeling bark, highly drought- and wind-tolerant, native to Florida and the tropical Americas, commonly used as a shade, street, or specimen plant.
Common Names
Gumbo Limbo, Gum Tree, Tourist Tree, West Indian Birch, Turpentine Tree, Almácigo, Copperwood, Chaca, Indio Desnudo, Palo Mulato
Summary
Gumbo-limbo is a large drought-tolerant semi-evergreen tree native to the Neotropics—from South Florida to Mexico and the Caribbean—with coppery, peeling bark that reveals a shiny underbark. It has pinnately compound leaves with 3–9 leaflets, small creamy white flowers, and red, three-sided berries, and it grows best in full sun to partial shade on dry, well-drained soils.
It tolerates drought once established, wind, and some salt spray, and is hardy in USDA zones 10–12; propagation is by seed or small branch cuttings, with cuttings rooting readily and early pruning recommended for street-tree form. In landscapes it serves as a shade or street tree; wood is lightweight and used for veneer, plywood, rustic furniture, boxes, and matches, while bark resin yields varnish, glue, and incense; cut branches readily root to form living fences, and fruits attract birds.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
25-40 feet
Spread
25-50 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 10-12
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil, tolerant of sandy, loamy, and clay soils
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
Wide pH range, tolerates acidic to alkaline soils
Bloom Color
Insignificant
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Bright green
Fall Foliage Color
No color change
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast, rapid, or moderate growth
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds and Cuttings, Layering
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) Sarg.
- Publication
- Gard. & Forest 3: 260 (1890)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Sapindales
- Family
- Burseraceae
- Genus
- Bursera
Synonyms
Pistacia simaruba Terebinthus simaruba Bursera arborea Bursera bonairensis Bursera gummifera Bursera gummifera var. polyphylla Bursera integerrima Bursera simaruba var. yucatanensis Bursera subpubescens Elaphrium arboreum Elaphrium integerrimum Elaphrium simaruba Elaphrium subpubescens Terebinthus arborea Bursera gummifera var. glabrata Icicariba simaruba