Titi

Cyrilla racemiflora
Family: Cyrillaceae

Natural History

Titi, also known as swamp cyrilla, leatherwood, white titi, or he-huckleberry, is a native shrubby tree, known for its attractive, dangling, white blossoms. The showy, fragrant flowers make it a popular ornamental plant.

While the wood is of little commercial value, it is occasionally used as a fuel wood and the trees provide important resources for wildlife. The vegetative growth is a highly- palatable and nutritious browse for white-tailed deer and spreading thickets of titi provide shelter for black bear, deer, other mammals, and numerous bird and aquatic species. Bears like to eat the sweet nectar, as do bees and butterflies. Titi honey is popular with beekeepers and bark of titi has been used to treat wounds.

This member of the Cyrillaceae family is found within the southern Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, from southeastern Virginia, south to central Florida and west to southeastern Texas. It may be found at elevations of up to 500'.