Landscape Uses:
	Accent or specimen tree in moist to wet locations.
Ecological Restoration Notes:
	A common element of wetland thickets and swamp margins.
Availability:
	Widely cultivated.
Description:
	Small to medium or rarely a large tree with variable crowns composed of numerous branches. Trunks often short, branching near the ground, 6-12 inches in diameter. Bark whitish to grayish to almost black, often covered with numerous lichens and other epiphytes. Leaves flat, leathery 2-4 inches long, dark above, paler beneath.
Height:
	Typically 10-30 feet in height; to 68 feet in South Florida. Usually taller than broad.
Growth Rate:
	Moderate to slow.
Range:
	Southeastern United States west to Texas and south to Miami Dade County and the Monroe County mainland; Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico and Central America.
Habitats:
	Swamps and moist forests.
Soils:
	Wet to moist, moderately well-drained to poorly-drained organic or sandy soils, often with acid pH.
Nutritional Requirements:
	High; requires rich organic soils for optimal growth.
Salt Water Tolerance:
	Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
	Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance:
	Moderate to low; requires moist to wet soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements:
	Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color:
	Yellowish-white.
Flower Characteristics:
	Inconspicuous. Dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.
Flowering Season:
	All year; peak in spring.
Fruit:
	A 1/4" diameter drupe, usually red, sometimes yellow or orange. Mostly ripening in the fall. Edible but not tasty.
Wildlife and Ecology:
	Provides significant food and cover for wildlife. Deer browse the young growth. Small mammals, turkey, quail, red-eyed vireos and other songbirds eat the fruits.
Comments:
	This small tree is excellent for low spots in the garden. The red berries make an excellent holiday decoration.