Paradise Tree
Upright and handsome with glossy leaves, and fruit the birds work hard every year.
Simarouba glauca
Glossy evergreen with new leaves that flush orange, and dark fruit the birds love.
Why it works here
Paradise tree is a handsome evergreen native with compound leaves that push out a reddish orange when new, so it always looks fresh. It handles salt well, which makes it useful closer to the coast, and its dark purple fruit pulls in birds. It gives a fuller, rounder crown than the airy tamarind, so it reads as a more solid shade tree.
Care
Water it in for the first year or two, then it gets by on moderate water in well drained soil. Prune while young to build one strong leader and good limb spacing, because it can be prone to breakage otherwise. Keep it back from sidewalks and driveways, since the surface roots and the staining fruit are both happier over mulch than over concrete. Compost and mulch cover all its feeding needs.
Common problems
Fruit that stains and litters hardscape. Cultural fix: site it over beds or lawn, not over your patio or parking pad.
Surface roots lifting nearby pavement. Same answer, give it room away from hardscape.
Storm breakage on untrained trees. The response is early structural pruning for strong branch angles.
Common questions
Is it evergreen or does it drop leaves?
Evergreen, so you get year round cover. It refreshes with those colorful new leaves rather than going bare.
Will the fruit stain my driveway?
It can, the dark drupes are juicy. Keep the tree over mulch or lawn and you sidestep the problem entirely.
Do I need a male and female tree?
The trees are dioecious, meaning fruit comes on female trees, so if you specifically want the bird feeding fruit you want a female with a male somewhere nearby. If you just want the shade and looks, any single tree is fine.
Interested in a paradise tree in your landscape?
We plan, install, and care for it. Start with a paid consultation.