Spicewood
An aromatic hammock shrub with neat foliage and quiet good looks. Built for layered native plantings.
Calyptranthes pallens
A fragrant-leaved native stopper relative with a bronzy new flush. Name note: also cataloged as Myrcia neopallens. Listed as threatened in Florida, so buy only nursery-propagated plants.
Why it works here
Note: a coastal hammock plant, long-lived, aromatic foliage
Spicewood is a dense, glossy-leaved evergreen in the stopper and myrtle family, and its crushed leaves are fragrant, which is a nice bonus by a path. It flushes bronzy-red new growth, carries small white flowers spring into fall, and sets red-to-black fruit the birds eat. It makes an excellent screen or tall hedge, or a handsome single-trunk specimen, and it's built for our high-pH coastal soils. Planting a nursery one also helps a threatened species.
Care
Water it in the first couple months, then it's fairly drought tolerant and low-maintenance. It likes our calcareous sandy ground and takes some coastal salt exposure. Feed lightly with compost, keep it mulched, and prune to your goal: leave the many stems for a full screen, or thin to one trunk for a small tree. It's slow and steady and lives a long time.
Common problems
An easy, long-lived plant with few complaints. The main caveat is availability, since it's threatened and not always easy to find, so source it from a reputable native nursery. It's cold-sensitive at the edge of its range, so give it a warm spot. Pests are minor here.
Common questions
Why do the leaves smell when I brush them?
It's in the aromatic myrtle family, so the foliage is fragrant when crushed. It's a pleasant surprise along a walkway or seating area.
Can I keep it as a hedge instead of a tree?
Absolutely. Left alone it's a full, many-stemmed screen. Thin it to one trunk if you'd rather have a small tree. It's flexible either way.
Is it hard to find?
It can be, since it's a threatened species grown by fewer nurseries. Ask a native specialist nursery and buy propagated stock, never wild-collected.
Interested in a spicewood in your landscape?
We plan, install, and care for it. Start with a paid consultation.