Green Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) is one of Florida’s toughest, versatile, and most underrated native evergreen shrub/trees! It is often called the “4th mangrove.”
While commonly found along our coastlines, this highly salt-tolerant native thrives in heat, wind, sandy soils, and challenging conditions while providing important habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.
Its medium green foliage and naturally sculptural form make it a beautiful choice for Florida native landscapes and especially coastal properties. Green Buttonwood rarely needs pruning unless training to a hedge and works wonderfully as a privacy screen, accent planting, or habitat feature. It common grows to about 20-30’ but in optimal conditions in zones 10B and 11 it can reach 40-50’.
As a Florida native, it requires less water and maintenance once established compared to many non-native landscape plants. It is also a host plant for martial scrub-hairstreak and tantalus sphinx moth.
- Flower: Yellow, green
- Fruit: Brown, showy
- Flowers and fruits all year
- Exposure: Full sun
- Moisture: Adaptable
- Soil: Sand, lime, rock
- pH: Calcareous (high pH)
- Attracts butterflies and bees
/AC