Moved to Sarasota, FL from Key West in 2001 and brought 2 small gumbo limbo branches with me to my new home. Stuck the branches in the d...Read Moreirt behind my house, in the barren backyard, and within 5 years they were each 15 foot trees. The trees were planted about 20 feet from a "lake" which I am sure made them happy. Growth rate was phenomenal and it was very fulfilling to see these trees succeed when local plant specialists told me it was impossible. The gumbo limbos survived below 32 (one winter it hit 29) and never dropped leaves. Unfortunately I had to remove the trees in 2012 (about a decade after I planted them) because they had grown to 25' and the roots had traveled towards my pool, creating a bit of minor damage. Nonetheless these are attractive l trees, well-liked by birds, and if I had a larger yard I would continue to grow them.
I am now going to attempt to grow a Lignum Vitae. "They" say it can't be done here, but I've proved "them" wrong before.
I started with 4 of these trees, each of them 3 feet tall. Within a few months we had a storm and one of trees lost a large branch. I dec...Read Moreided to test the story that they root easily, so I planted the branch. Lo and Behold - it started growing. I was told they are "living fenceposts" in the islands (cut some branches to make a fence and they all start growing). The trees grow fast but took about 3 years to start really filling out. One was beautiful immediatly. For a while 2 looked like gangly teenagers - all skinny and not much shape. One was actually unattractive, like the runt of a litter of dogs. Now, 4 years later - wow!!! They are all full, have WONDERFUL shapes, the bark is red and peeling, and a few started bearing fruit in the Spring. I can't wait until the birds start using them for nests and eat the fruit. I now have 7 trees. I highly recommend this tree!
I have many of these trees on and around my property on Roatan Honduras. By central American standrds they are considered a weak tree and...Read More do not hold up well to high winds. They are also know as an "Indio desnudo" or Naked Indian tree.
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 9b) | January 2006 | positive
This is a fantastically tough and fast growing tree. In summer 2004 I planted one from a seven gallon container. With minimal care it gre...Read Morew quickly. Three months later Hurricane Frances came along and dropped my neighbor's tin shed directly on top of it. It was flattened to the ground, had every limb broken off, sustained multiple deep wounds to the trunk and was now three feet shorter. I figured it was beyond saving, but I decided I had nothing to lose by giving it a chance to recover. A year and half later it has tripled in size and is going strong. It has also survived a frost and temps as low as 26 F with no visible damage.
I live in a new development that has these great trees as our main landscaping item. I have 3 mature trees, with one being very large. ...Read MoreIt is about 50 feet tall and has a pretty good girth for her trunk. In the spring (late April, early May) the sea sparrows come down and perch in the trees often. This is about the same time that the trees go through the "shedding" stage where they will mimic the trees up north by dropping all their leaves. Don't worry though, this only lasts about a month and then they come back stronger than ever!
They provide welcome relief from the summer sun and provide some great shade. They are great climbing trees too. My neighbor's son comes over and has a ball!
Gumbo Limbo is an unusual and excellent tree native to the tropical hardwood hammocks of coastal central and southern Florida, including ...Read Morethroughout the Keys. It provides shelter for wildlife, and is an excellent wind-resistant tree. It is readily available in my zone 10 area (grows naturally from zones 9 southward) and one of friends across the street has it in her front yard. She hangs birdfeeders from it which attracts lots of doves, pigeons and some small groups of parakeets. I'd highly recommend this tree for its easy-to-grow habit, unusualness and wildlife benefits.
UPDATE/MORE FACTS - These trees are very easy to grow from cuttings, even of large branches. These trees are also found in the Caribbean and are used to make fences that do not rot easily on many islands in the Caribbean.
Bark and roots good for an ailing stomach and light menstrual cramps. Also known as the living fence-post, a fresh-cut limb planted as a ...Read Morefence-post will grow into another tree.
Moved to Sarasota, FL from Key West in 2001 and brought 2 small gumbo limbo branches with me to my new home. Stuck the branches in the d...Read More
I started with 4 of these trees, each of them 3 feet tall. Within a few months we had a storm and one of trees lost a large branch. I dec...Read More
I have many of these trees on and around my property on Roatan Honduras. By central American standrds they are considered a weak tree and...Read More
This is a fantastically tough and fast growing tree. In summer 2004 I planted one from a seven gallon container. With minimal care it gre...Read More
I live in a new development that has these great trees as our main landscaping item. I have 3 mature trees, with one being very large. ...Read More
It is called the "tourist tree" because the red bark appears to be sunburned and is peeling.
Gumbo Limbo is an unusual and excellent tree native to the tropical hardwood hammocks of coastal central and southern Florida, including ...Read More
One of the most wind-resistant trees in Florida
Fast growth rate
Bark and roots good for an ailing stomach and light menstrual cramps. Also known as the living fence-post, a fresh-cut limb planted as a ...Read More