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Home  /  Plants  /  Budburst Species  /  Bursera simaruba
Phenology Observation Sheet for Deciduous Trees and Shrubs

COMMON NAME

Gumbo limbo

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Bursera simaruba

ALSO KNOWN AS

Copperwood, West Indian birch, chaca

Plant family

Frankincense (Burseraceae)

Plant group

Deciduous Trees and Shrubs

Gumbo-limbo is a tree growing up to about 60' tall with stout branches that spread out at strong angles.
41 reports
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OBSERVERS
41+
OBSERVATIONS
!

Identification hints

On mature trees, the shiny copper bark peels off in large papery strips.
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Did you know?

Gumbo-limbo trees are very wind-resistant, making them ideal for hurricane prone areas. Small branches of this tree can be planted directly in the soil to create "living fences". Gumbo limbo fruits provide important sources of food for many bird species, such as vireos and flycatchers.
DISTRIBUTION IN TH U.S.
Florida , Puerto Rico , Virgin Islands
HABITAT
Coastal hammocks and shell mounds in sandy soils.
ATTRIBUTES
Leaves
Semi-evergreen leaves appear one at a time along the stem (alternate). Leaves are compound (multiple leaflets sharing the leaf stalk), each composed of 7-11 leaflets. Leaflets are broadly oval shaped and 2-4" long.
Flowers
Flowers are borne in loose 2-6" long clusters. Individual flowers are small, light green, with five petals.
Fruits
Gumbo limbo fruit is a three-valved capsule with a single seed covered in a red seedcoat.
Bark
Coppery and lustrous bark peels off in thin paper strips, revealing greenish-brown bark below with white dots (lenticels).
Bloom Time
Blooms January to April.

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