Wednesday's Wildflower: Common Torchwood

Amyris elemifera, Common Torchwood

By Beryn Harty, Dade Chapter, edited by Valerie Anderson

Photo by Beryn Harty, Taken on roadside, Ramrod Key, FL
Family Name: Rutaceae

Genus/Species: Amyris elemifera

Common Name: Common Torchwood (Another common name is Sea Torchwood, which is deceiving because it's salt tolerance is rather low. According to the IRC, " It grows near salt water, but should be protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation."

Native Range: Eastern peninsular Florida, the West Indies, Mexico and Central America (Belize)

What kind of plant is it?: A flowering tree

Any interesting history: Green wood used as torches, twigs are burned as incense.

What is the shape, color and size of the flower?: Clusters of tiny white flowers, new leaf growth often very dark purple

What is the typical natural habitat? Hammocks

What benefits does it have for wildlife? Provides food and cover for wildlife. Larval host for Bahamian and Schaus Swallowtail butterflies. Birds and mammals eat fruits.

Propagation: (seed, seedling)

Availability: Grown by some native nurseries. Growing from seed sometimes successful (I’ve done it, myself).

Beryn Harty is a member of Miami-Dade Chapter FNPS as there is no current Keys chapter. She lives full time on Ramrod Key.

Other Links

Institute for Regional Conservation link: Common torchwood, Sea torchwood

USF Plant Atlas: Amyris elemifera

FNPS: Torchwood

Comments

Anonymous said…
Could you provide instructions on how you grew them from seed? How deep did you plant them? Did you score the seeds first? What kind of substrate? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!
February 1, 2018 at 11:35 AM
Chris said…
Beryn is a "she"
March 17, 2019 at 7:21 PM
Beryn Harty said…
As I mentioned in caption, the photo was taken of new growth on a roadside plant, and not one which I grew from seed. That said, I did grow some from seed a couple of years ago. As I recall, I let the seeds dry completely prior putting them in a pot and covering with a layer of dirt about 1/4" (one quarter inch) and then watering.
March 18, 2019 at 12:13 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wednesday's Wildflower:Spanish Needle

Image
Spanish Needle, Bidens Alba Submitted by Donna Bollenbach, Suncoast Chapter Biden's alba , all photos by Donna Bollenbach Nothing attracts more butterflies and bees than a simple white flower called Bidens alba . Also called Romerillo, Beggar’s Tick, Spanish Needle or Monkey’s Lice, this Florida native wildflower is the third most reliable source of nectar for pollinators in our state. There would be many starving bees and butterflies if not for the Bidens family of flowers. More so, Bidens alba and its sister plant, Bidens pilosa , are both edible and have medicinal value. Yet, many gardeners have a love/hate relationship the plant, and some even consider it a pesky weed. Why?
Read more

Australian Pine: One of Florida's Least Wanted

Image
 Austrailian Pine fruits Australian pines seem to be everywhere in the coastal regions in the bottom half of Florida. Their name is deceiving because, while they are native to Australia, they aren't pines or even conifers. They are flowering trees with separate male and female flowers, and what look like needles are really green twiglets with close-set circles of tiny leaves that drop at the first sign of a drought. In the photo to the right, the light-colored lines are where leaves where once attached. Most of the photosynthesis takes place in the twiglets. There are three species of Australian pine ( Casuarina spp ) that have been imported into Florida for various purposes. They were widely planted to soak up the "swamps" in Florida, stabilize canals, and hold beaches. Unfortunately for Florida's ecosystems, the "pines" accomplished all this and more--like seeding prolifically, growing five feet or more per year, producing dense shade, and emitting
Read more

Tropical Milkweed is Harmful to Monarchs & Florida Ecosystems

Image
By Lilly Anderson-Messec The red and yellow blooms of tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica , are ubiquitous in Florida butterfly gardens. This non-native milkweed has exploded in popularity as demand for milkweed grows to support declining monarch butterfly populations. This tropical species is native to Mexico and very easy to propagate, so growers are able to quickly produce plant material to meet the milkweed demand. It’s also very showy, blooming prolifically all season and regrowing quickly after being decimated by hungry caterpillars.  Unfortunately, tropical milkweed has been an increasingly invasive species in Central and South Florida for many years, and has begun spreading in North Florida as well. It’s fast growth and prolific re-seeding have resulted in large monocultures of tropical milkweed in natural areas. This unchecked growth replaces native plants and disrupts the native ecosystems that both wildlife and humans rely on. The invasive quality of this plant is is j
Read more