Bumelia lycioides
Shittamwood
a perennial woody deciduous member of the Bumelia genus in the family Sapotaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Sapotaceae
- Genus
- Bumelia
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- deciduous
- Woodiness
- woody
- Height
- 8 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Fruit[2]. No further details. The fruit has a thick flesh and is about 10mm in diameter[6][3].
- Plant part
- Fruit
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Wood - heavy, hard, not strong, close grained[6][4]. It weighs about 46lb per cubic foot[5]. Of no commercial value, it is used for tool handles, cabinet making etc[6][4].
- Product or use
- Wood
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Secondary canopy
Environment
- Range
- South-eastern N. America - Virginia to Florida, west to Indiana and Texas.
- Habitat
- Low moist soils by swamps and streams, also found on rocky bluffs[6].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 7+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
- Salinity
- tolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - we have no details on this species but would suggest that if ripe seed can be obtained it should be sown straight away in a cold greenhouse. Stored seed can be sown in late winter or early spring in a greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Succeeds in a warm sunny site in any freely draining moderately fertile soil[3]. Plants are cut back by temperatures below about -15°c but they regenerate freely from the base 200]. Succeeds outdoors at Kew[1], though it is not very vigorous[K]. This species rarely, if ever, fruits in Britain[1]. The tree at Kew flowered freely in the long hot summer of 1989 but did not produce fruit[K].
References
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622
Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X