Identifying Characteristics
| Size/Form: | Gumbo-limbo is a large, tardily deciduous tree that grows from 50' to 60' tall with stout, massive branches and a spreading, rounded crown. |
| Leaves: | The leaves are alternately arranged, odd pinnately compound with 3 to 9 (mostly 5 to 7) leaflets that are 2" to 3" long by 1" to 2" wide. The oblong to ovate leaves have leathery, bright green upper surfaces and are paler underneath. Leaflets have unequal bases and long, tapering leaf tips. The leaf margins are entire or slightly wavy. |
| Fruit: | The fruit is a dark red, football-shaped drupe, about 1/3" long. It is leathery with 3 angled sides that split along the suture lines at maturity to release a triangular seed. |
| Bark: | The bark is light reddish-brown, thin, papery, and scaly like yellow birch. It has a smooth, oily look and peels off in sheets to reveal a greenish-brown layer beneath. |
| Habitat: | Gumbo-limbo grows best in sandy, well-drained soils. It is found in tidewater areas, coastal hammocks, and mixed forests. |