Citharexylum spinosum (Florida Fiddlewood, Spiny Fiddlewood)
Botanical Information
| Family | Verbenaceae |
| Genus | Citharexylum |
| Species | spinosum |
| Synonyms | Citharexylum quadrangulare, Citharexylum fruticosum. |
| Category | Tropicals, Woody |
| Type | Tree (evergreen) |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 9a - 11 |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | 8 |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Zone | H4 - H1c |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Temperature (°C) | (-6.6) - 4.5 |
| Temperature (°F) | 20 - 40 |
| Height | 15 m |
| Spread | 4.7- 6 m |
| Growth | Medium |
Description and Growing Information
| General Description | A small tree that has foliage all year round, leaves are green in winter, changing to yellow, orange and gold for the months from spring to autumn. All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested. |
| Propagation | Hardwood cuttings. |
| Cultivation | Prefers moist, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. |
| Notable Specimens | Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida, United States of America. |
| Habitat | Southern Florida, the Caribbean, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. |
| Leaf Description | The ovate to elliptic leaves are 4–20 cm long and have orange petioles. |
| Flower Description | Small white flowers are produced throughout the year on hanging axillary and terminal racemes and panicles 20 – 40 cm in length. |
| Fruit Description | The fruit are red to black subglobose drupes, 7–10 mm in diameter. |
Photographs
Citharexylum spinosum, bark, Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida, United States of America.
Citharexylum spinosum, form, Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida, United States of America.
Citharexylum spinosum, leaf, Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida, United States of America.