Terminalia buceras
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Terminalia buceras

Black-olive · Gregorywood tree · Antigua whitewood · Bullet tree · Gregory wood

Tier 2 Difficulty: easy Water: low Light: full_sun
Temperature
20–37 °C
Soil pH
6–8
Hardiness
Zone 10–12
Click count
29
Observations
90

Description

Source: leafsnap

Terminalia buceras is a tree in the Combretaceae family. It is known by a variety of names in English, including bullet tree, black olive tree, gregorywood (or gregory wood), Antigua whitewood, and oxhorn bucida. It is native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It is commonly found in coastal swamps and wet inland forests in low elevations.

Care Guide

💧 Water
☀️ Light Full sun

Antigua whitewood comes from open habitats, like sunlit meadows and forest margins, which provide abundant light. It does best in Full Sun but can also tolerate Partial Sun, adapting well to different light conditions.

Ideal: Full sun
🌡️ Temperature 20–37.8°C

Antigua whitewood comes from tropical areas where the climate is generally warm and humid. As a result, it is adapted to high temperatures and humidity. It does not tolerate sudden temperature shifts and prefers a stable thermal environment, so it is important to avoid temperature fluctuations indoors. It typically cannot withstand cold and requires warmer conditions to grow. If the ambient temperature falls too low, the plant may stop growing or even die.

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

Fertilization is essential for the care of Antigua whitewood. Regular feeding throughout the growing season maintains energy for its showy leaves and supports overall growth. Ignoring fertilization can lead to unhealthy foliage, reduced ornamental value, and stunted or weak growth that is prone to breaking.

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

Characteristics

Plant Type
Tree
Life Cycle
Perennial
Genus
Terminalia
Family
Combretaceae
Hardiness Zone
10-12
Mature Height
12.19 m to 15.24 m
Mature Spread
10.36 m to 14.94 m
Leaf Color
Dark Green, Forest Green
Leaf Type
Evergreen
Flower Color
White
Flower Size
0.25 cm to 0.51 cm
Bloom Time
Late spring, Early summer, Mid summer
Planting Time
Spring, Summer, Autumn
Harvest Time
Late summer, Early fall, Mid fall
Native Area
Colombia, Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Panama, Jamaica

Tags (5)

Common Names (6)

en Black-olive
en Gregorywood tree
en Antigua whitewood
en Bullet tree
en Gregory wood
en Oxhorn bucida