Myrcianthes Species, Naked-Wood, Simpson's Stopper, Twinberry

This plant is definitely winter hardy into Zone 8b. It's come through winters with lows into the upper teens and low twenties without pro...Read Moreblems at all.

Simpson has been in my front yard for 3 years, and I've been trimming it into a tree, about 6 ft tall. Up until about a week ago, it has ...Read Morebeen gorgeous. This year it was loaded with flowers, and subsequently, berries.
Recently the branches sagged when we had heavy rain. I thought Simpson would come back on its own, and it did somewhat. However when the berries continued to grow, the limbs sagged again, so yesterday I trimmed many small branches that were excess or crossing, thinking the reduction in weight would allow the remaining main branches to come back up.
This morning, three good-size branches were broken off the tree -- on the ground. Branches have never broken off before and I wonder if yesterday's trimming weakened instead of strengthened the tree. Any tips on exactly how to prune a Simpson into a tree? I am an experienced gardener, and have not seen this result from pruning before now. But this is my first Simpson.

When you first plant it ,do not over water... After 3 months it had flowers. Great plant..

Technically, this is a "Simpson Stopper," not a "Simpson's Stopper." That aside, ours is a very manageable size and is easy to keep in b...Read Moreounds. It flowers regularly and has no pest problems whatsoever.

I have a zone 8b garden in north Florida near Gainesville. Two years ago I planted two Simpson's Stoppers by my carport under high shade....Read More I watered then a little for a month or two, then proceeded to ignore them. They did not grow much the first year, but have grown close to 2 feet in the last year after establishing a root system. We had a very cold winter last year, with temperatures falling to 16 degrees F (on an accurate thermometer less than 10 feet away from the plants), and they were untouched. No flowers yet, but I'm still hopeful.

As a sidenote, they were planted adjacent to some existing boxwoods and the location has provided me with numerous opportunities to compare the two plants. I must say that I much prefer the look, feel and graceful habit of the stopper! This may be yet another instance when a native plant is a better choice than a commonly used non-native species.

Simpson's Stopper is native to South Florida, the Keys and the Caribbean. This flowering and fruiting stopper is a member of the Myrtle f...Read Moreamily. It makes an ideal landscaping plant that needs little care. It is a dependable bloomer, as well as a favored nectar and fruit sources for many animals.

Its aromatic blooms appear regularly throughout the year. Butterflies and other nectar seeking insects are attracted to the flowers. The showy flowers are small, white powder puffs. They appear in masses that resemble foam.

Small, reddish-orange fruits follow. These edible fruits have a sweet, citrus-like flavor. Mockingbirds and other fruit eating birds relish therse berries. The name stopper refers to the traditional use of the fruit and bark as an anti-diarrheal.

Simpson's Stopper has beautiful red, peeling bark Because it's evergreen, it's not very messy. It will get up to 20' or taller. If left to grow naturally it will take on a vase shape, with many small trunks. No South Florida garden is complete without a tree from the stopper family.

Slow grower

Produces orange fruit in the fall that attracts birds.