GUAYACAN Soapbush
Guaiacum angustifolium - Zygophyllaceae, Caltrop Family
DESCRIPTION:
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Small, many branched evergreen tree with coniferous appearance.
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Height: 8-10 feet, can reach 20 feet.
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Flowers: Showy and fragrant, blue to purple; March.
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Fruit: Heart-shaped capsules, open in
autumn to reveal two vivid red-
coated, black, bean-like seeds.
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Foliage: Evergreen, dark-green leaflets fold
at night and during heat of day.
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Bark: Gray, fissured. rowth rate: Slow (in wild).
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.
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Propagation: Seed.
NATIVE HABITAT:
Brush-grasslands; some relatively large specimens on resaca banks in
Cameron County.
WILDLIFE USE:
Cover, nest sites; flowers attract
bees; foliage important as deer and livestock browse.
COMMENTS:
Root bark used as soap (does not fade colors); root extracts used to
treat various diseases; good honey source; densest wood in Texas; hard, heavy and self-lubricating; fenceposts
and tool handles. Very difficult to propagate from seed or to successfully transplant from the wild; very small leaves lie close to
branches to form an evergreen, conifer look.
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