Exothea paniculata
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Exothea paniculata

Butterbough · Ironwood · Wild ginep · Wilg guinep · Inkwood

Tier 2 Difficulty: easy Water: low Light: partial_sun
Temperature
20–37 °C
Soil pH
6–8
Hardiness
Zone 10–11
Click count
1
Observations
2

Description

Source: wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Exothea paniculata, called the butterbough, inkwood, or ironwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Sapindaceae. It is native to wet tropical areas of Florida, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and Colombia. A shrub or tree reaching 45 ft (14 m), it is typically found in hammocks.

Care Guide

💧 Water
☀️ Light Partial sun

Butter bough thrives naturally in shaded environments like forest understories or rocky regions. While its ideal sunlight condition is partial sunlight, it's also capable of adapting to both full sunlight and full shade, which substantiates its flexible and resilient characteristics.

Ideal: Partial sun
🌡️ Temperature 20–37.8°C

The butter bough plant hails from tropical locales, which are characterized by high heat and moisture. Consequently, it's naturally suited to thrive in warm, humid conditions. It's not fond of abrupt shifts in temperature and favors a consistent temperature setting, thus it's crucial to steer clear of indoor temperature swings. As this plant typically struggles in cold climates, it needs higher temperatures to facilitate its growth. If the surrounding temperature reduces considerably, the plant may halt its growth or even perish.

Ideal temperature: 20–37.8°C
💨 Humidity
Humidity:
🪴 Soil 6-8
Soil pH: 6-8
🌱 Fertilizer

Fertilization is essential for the care of Butter bough. Consistent nourishment throughout the growing season aids in maintaining energy for vibrant leaves and promotes general growth. Ignoring fertilization could lead to unhealthy foliage, reduction in visual attractiveness, and inhibited or fragile growth susceptible to snapping.

🪴 Pot & Repot
✂️ Pruning
🌿 Propagating
🐛 Diseases & pets
☠️ Toxicity

Characteristics

Plant Type
Tree, Shrub
Life Cycle
Perennial
Genus
Exothea
Family
Sapindaceae
Hardiness Zone
10-11
Mature Height
10.06 m to 14.94 m
Mature Spread
4.88 m to 7.92 m
Leaf Color
Dark Green
Leaf Type
Evergreen
Flower Color
White
Flower Size
0.25 cm to 0.51 cm
Bloom Time
Mid spring, Late spring
Planting Time
Spring, Summer, Autumn
Harvest Time
Mid summer, Late summer, Early fall
Native Area
Colombia, Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Jamaica

Tags (6)

Common Names (5)

en Butterbough
en Ironwood
en Wild ginep
en Wilg guinep
en Inkwood