BRASIL Bluewood, Rhamnaceae
Condalia hookeri Buckthorn Family
DESCRIPTION:
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Small tree with branches ending in thorns; distinctive bright, lime-green
leaves.
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Height: 12-15 feet; can reach 30 feet.
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Flowers: Petalless, small and inconspicuous, greenish; after rainfall.
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Fruit: Black, fleshy edible berry.
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Foliage: Evergreen, bright lime-green leaves.
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Bark: Thin, smooth, becoming furrowed
with age, brown to light gray.
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Growth rate: Moderate to slow.
REQUIREMENTS:
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Sun: Partial shade to full sun.
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Soil: Any.
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Drainage: Well-drained.
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Water: Low: drought tolerant.
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Maintenance: Little needed.
NATIVE HABITAT:
Brush-grassland.
WILDLIFE USE:
Key source of fruit for wildlife (birds, squirrels, raccoons,
opossums); cover, shelter, nest sites; pollen used by bees; leaves browsed by deer.
COMMENTS:
Firewood; small edible fruit in large
amounts to make jelly and wines; wood heavy and hard; wood allegedly source of blue dye.
Attractive small tree when mature; can be shaped into a barrier hedge; the bright intensity of the dense lime-green
foliage is an interesting contrast to surrounding deep green
trees.
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