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Home  /  Plants  /  Budburst Species  /  Dodonaea viscosa
Phenology Observation Sheet for Broadleaf Evergreens

COMMON NAME

'A'ali'i

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Dodonaea viscosa

ALSO KNOWN AS

Florida Hopbush, Hopseed Bush, Switch Sorrel, Varnish Leaf, Hopbush, Chapoliztle, Casol

Plant family

Soapberry (Sapindaceae)

Plant group

Broadleaf Evergreens

A tropical evergreen shrub usually growing 6-12' tall. 'A'ali'l can be found across the tropics from Africa to Australasia and the Americas.
41 reports
19+
OBSERVERS
41+
OBSERVATIONS
!

Identification hints

Male and female flowers often occur on separate shrubs. The female flowers are the only ones to produce the fruit capsules.
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Did you know?

'A'ali'l wood is very durable and strong. Traditionally it was used by Hawaiians for pou (house posts) and for digging sticks and fishing lures.
DISTRIBUTION IN TH U.S.
Arizona , California , Florida , Hawaii , Puerto Rico , Virgin Islands
HABITAT
Typically found in dry, rocky soils on slopes, in canyons, savannas, and coastal hammocks.
ATTRIBUTES
Leaves
Leaves can vary in shape but are most often wider above the mid-line than near the base (obovate), but can also be lance-shaped. Usually 1.5 to 3 inches long and less than 1" wide and usually without a leaf stalk. They are leathery and dark green, glossy above and pale green below. Leaves have a sticky resin on them and alternate along the branch.
Flowers
Plants have either male or female flowers. Petal-less flowers grow in yellow to orangish-red, in inch-long clusters coming off the stem at the leaf axils.
Fruits
Fruit is a rounded 2-4 winged 1" long capsule.
Bark
Bark is reddish brown to gray or black.
Bloom Time
Typically blooming August to November.

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