Other Names:  Seminole Balsamo, Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee

Description:

An evergreen, shade tolerant shrub featuring ridged, dark green foliage that is very glossy; flower clusters appear year round, except when there is cold or drought; showy berries are edible, but taste bland and have no caffeine; a good landscape specimen

Ornamental Features

Florida Wild Coffee is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. It features an abundance of magnificent scarlet berries from early winter to late fall. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up. It has attractive dark green foliage with grayish green undersides. The glossy narrow leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. It features subtle clusters of white flowers at the ends of the branches from early winter to late fall, which emerge from distinctive chartreuse flower buds. The smooth bark and tan branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Florida Wild Coffee is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Florida Wild Coffee is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Florida Wild Coffee will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

This shrub does best in partial shade to full shade. Keep it well away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America.

Florida Wild Coffee makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Lindley's Florida Native

** Florida Native **