Wild Tamarind - Lee County Extension

Stephen H. Brown, Horticulture Agent
Kim Cooprider, Master Gardener
Lee County Extension, Fort Myers, Florida
(239) 533-7513 brownsh@ufl.edu
http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/GardenHome.shtml
Lysiloma latisiliquum
Family: Fabaceae
Common Names: Wild Tamarind, Bahamas
Lysiloma, Candelón
Late February
Synonyms (discarded names): Acacia bahamensis, A. latisilqua, Leucaena latisiliquua, Lysiloma
bahamensis, Lysiloma latisiliquua
Origin: Southernmost Florida, Bahamas, Caribbean, southern Mexico, Central America
U.S.D.A. Zone: 10B-12B (34F minimum)
Plant Type: Medium to large tree
Growth Rate: Fast
Typical Dimensions: 40’-60’x30’-50’
Leaf Persistence: Evergreen to semi-deciduous
Flowering Season: Spring, summer
Flower Color: White, cream, gray
Light Requirements: Full sun, partial shade
Soil Requirements: Wide pH range, welldrained soils
Drought Tolerance: High, once established
Soil Salt Tolerance: Low
Aerosol Salt Tolerance: High
Wind Tolerance: Medium
Nutritional Requirements: Low to moderate
Propagation: Seeds
Motility: Sometimes spreading by self-sown
seedlings
Human hazards: None known
Major Potential Pests: Cottony cushion scales,
lac scales, thornbugs
Uses: Shade tree, street tree, lawn tree, reclamation, parking lot islands, seaside, decks
Natural Distribution
Wild tamarind occurs throughout the entire Bahamian archipelago, Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Belize and Guatemala. In the Caribbean it
is native to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Dominican
Republic and Turks and Caicos Islands. In South
Florida it sparsely but naturally occurs in Collier, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. The tree
is common on Key Largo and the upper keys.
Wild tamarind will grow north of its natural
range including Brevard County on the east coast
and Lee County on the west coast of Florida.
Late September
Ecological Niche
Wild tamarind naturally occurs on shallow, neutral to slightly alkaline soils formed from limestone. It is
an important fast growing pioneering species. Seedlings establish themselves in open, sunny areas and
quickly grow into large shade trees that serve as “nurse” trees for a wide array of hammock species
needing such a canopy to become established. It readily invades pine rocklands in the absence of fire,
although unlike many other hardwoods, it is usually killed when fire returns to the system.
The foliage is the larval food for the cassius blue (Leptotes cassius), large orange sulphur (Phoebis agarithe) and the mimosa yellow butterflies (Eurema nise). It is the nectar plant for the cassius blue and the
mangrove skipper (Phocides pigmalion). It is a primary habitat for the Florida tree snail (Liguus fasciatus).
Growth Habit
This is a medium to large-sized tree capable of growing to 60 feet tall but more commonly it is seldom
more than 45 feet tall. The more vigorous shoots on saplings are strictly vegetative and largely unbranched. As the tree develops there is a progressive increase in branch frequencies and a decrease in
shoot lengths.
Although fast growing, it has a strong wood, capable of withstanding harsh winds. The wood has growth
rings, but these seem to be non-annual. The dark brown timber is highly regarded for lumber The bark is
smooth and light gray when the tree is young. It turns dark brown and separate into large plate-like
scales on older trees. Young branches are bright reddish-brown but become a little paler with age. Stems
are zig-zag with fern-like bipinnate leaves.
The crown is built of long-arching overlapping branches. In open situations, this tree develops a short
trunk that is erect to slightly leaning and a spreading “umbrella-like” crown. The crown becomes more
open with age. In crowded competing situations, the trunk is straighter and longer to the first branch and
the crown more conical. The trunks of the oldest trees are two to three feet in diameter.
The tree is evergreen southward to semi-deciduous and deciduous northward. In all climates, leaf fall
usually precedes new growth in late spring but often with some overlap.
Used as street and shade trees. Davie, Florida. Late August
Trunks of various ages, youngest to oldest
Leaves
The leaves are alternately arranged. They are bipinnate with usually 3-5 pairs of opposite and evenpinnae. Each pinna has 10-20 oppositely paired leaflets. The entire leaf is 4-7 inches long and 4-5 inches
wide. The leaflets are less than 0.5 inch long and 0.2 inches wide. They are oblong, entire, sessile, and
dark green above and paler beneath.
Leaves are alternately arranged on a zig-zag stems
A single bipinnate leaf with three pairs of pinnae
Flowers and Flowering
Flowers are in a staminous inflorescence resembling a powder-puff when fully opened. Inflorescence are
solitary or in small groups. They are white and showy, approximately 0.6 inches in diameter on a long
peduncle about 1.5 inches long. There are 15-20 stamens in each flower which are united below into a
common tube. Flowering occurs on new axillary or terminal shoots. The exception being the first flowers of the season, which may appear as early as March, on older specialized flowering branches. Flowers
are slightly scented and are visited by bees, but details of pollination are not known.
Off season bloom, mid October
Mid June
Fruit
Fruits develop as flat, somewhat twisted, green pods, normally 5-8 inches long, and 1-1.25 inches wide.
Maturing, they become dark brown and finally a mottled tan as the brown material falls away. They are
dehiscent (opening naturally) and persist on the tree, often well into the next flowering season. There are
usually 5-10 seeds in a pod. However, seed mortality is high. Many are eaten by a small seed eating beetle, Merobruchus lysilomae, that leaves small exit holes in affected pods. Unlike the pods of Indian
tamarind, Tamarindus indica, the fruits of wild tamarind are not edible.
Early October
Early October
Insect Problems
Thorn bugs feed on stems and may be responsible for minor tree dieback. In southwest Florida, a lac
scale, Tachardiella mexicana, causes major branch dieback or even the death of trees. They feed in vast
numbers leaving the tree covered with black sooty mold. Cottony cushion scales can be a problem in
winter and spring.
Thorn bugs, late November
Tachardiella mexicana, early August
Wild tamarind trees affected by Tachardiella mexicana, Cape Coral, Florida
Uses and Maintenance
Wild tamarind should be grown in full sun or areas of light shade for part of the day. It is well suited as a
lawn and shade tree. Branches may form very low on the trunk and will droop towards the ground. Trees
intended to be planted along streets and in parking lots should be specified as having 5-10 feet of clear
trunk to avoid problems with low hanging branches. Low branches can be left on trees planted in a yard,
park or other locations where vehicle clearance is not a concern.
Major branches often develop embedded or included bark as they grow at the same rate as the trunk.
They often grow to about the same size as the trunk. This does not appear to be a problem on small trees
but could encourage branch breakage as the tree grows older. Try to keep the major branches from
growing larger than about two-third the diameter of the trunk.
In areas where the Mexican lac scale is present, healthy trees should be monitored for their presence.
Affected trees can be treated with a systemic insecticide for control but this has not always proven successful. Thorn bugs are less damaging but may warrant control if feeding is unsustainable to the tree.
Drought tolerant once established, wild tamarind is highly salt tolerant, with plants occasionally found
growing on coastal strand. Its small leaflets also “melt” into the ground when they drop from the tree.
Gardeners who do not like raking leaves will appreciate wild tamarind.
Trees Having Similar Appearance
In South Florida, several other trees are frequently misidentified as being wild tamarinds. The commonality and cause of confusion between those trees and wild tamarinds include alternate bipinnate leaves,
pendent flat seed pods and staminous flowers.
Sabicu, Lysiloma sabicu, is a close relative of wild tamarind. It has 2-4 pairs of pinnae and 3-7 pairs of
broadly ovate leaflets. Leaflets are about 0.75 inches long and 0.5 inches wide on minute petioles. The
pods are 3-6 inches long, and approximately 2 inches wide, often slightly twisted. The slender fruit
stems are about 2 inches long. Pods emerge green, become dark brown and increasingly tan in color as
the brown surface material flakes away. Sabicu is recommended as a shade and specimen tree.
Mother in law’s tongue or lebbeck tree, Albizia lebbeck, has the largest leaves of the species described.
Leaves are 6-17 inches long with 2-4 pairs of pinnae and 4-9 pairs of off centered leaflets. Leaflets are
commonly 0.75-2.2 inches long with a very short, 1/16 inch, petiole. New pods become apparent in the
fall and are 4-12 inches long and contains a row of visibly impressed seeds. Pods have raised borders.
Throughout winter and early spring, a large number of dried tan-colored pods hang conspicuously on
deciduous trees. It is a nuisance and highly invasive tree. It has been declared a noxious weed and its
movement, sales and planting are prohibited.
Leucaena leucocephala is the lead tree. Leaves are 4-8 inches long with 3-10 pairs of pinnae. There are
usually 10-20 pairs of opposite narrowly oblong to lanceolate shaped leaflets. They are sessile and
slightly asymmetric. Dehiscent pods are normally 4-6 inches long, green turning brown when mature.
They have raised borders and a row of usually 12-22 visibility impressed seeds. Lead tree is deciduous
and flowers and fruit through much of the year with new and old pods simultaneously present. The tree
is highly invasive and forms dense stands even in urban areas. Its movement, sales and planting are prohibited.
Other trees that are sometimes confused with wild tamarind tree is Delonix regia, royal poinciana, and
Jacaranda mimosifolia Jacaranda. The former is the most tropical and is confined mostly to southern
Florida. The latter is significantly more cold tolerant and can be found in both southern and central Florida.
Trees Having Similar Appearance
Lysiloma latisiliquum: Leaf with 4 pairs of pinnae
and pods
Albizia lebbeck: leaf with 4 pairs of pinnae and
pods
Lysiloma sabicu: Leaf with 4 pairs of pinnae and pods
Leucaena leucocephala: Leaf with 7 pairs of pinnae and
pods
Late February
Mid June
Foliage, late August
References
Barwick, Margaret. 2004. Tropical & Subtropical Trees, An Encyclopedia. Timber Press, Portland,
OR
Broschat, T., A. Meerow. 2001. Betrock’s Reference Guide to Florida Landscape Plants. Betrock Information Systems, Inc., Hollywood, FL
Florida Division of Forestry. 2009. Forest Trees of Florida. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Tallahassee, FL
Gilman, E., D. Watson. 2011. Lysiloma bahamensis: Wild-Tamarind. ENH-525, UF/IFAS, Gainesville,
FL
Kirk, K. 2009. Tropical Trees of Florida and the Virgin Islands. Pineapple Press, Sarasota, FL
Langland, K., H. Cherry, C. McCormick, K. Craddock Burks. 1998. Identification and Biology of Nonnative Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas. UF/IFAS, Gainesville, FL
Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve. September 26, 2013. Lysiloma latisilliquum. L. L. Foundation, Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas. .
Nelson, G. 2003. Florida’s Best Native Landscape Plants: 200 readily available species for homeowners
and professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Tomlinson, P.B. 1980. The Biology of Trees Native to Tropical Florida. Harvard University Printing
Office, Allston, MA
Workman, R. 1980. Growing Native. The Sanibel-Captiva Foundation, Inc., Sanibel, FL
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This fact sheet was reviewed by Peggy Cruz, Horticulture Specialist, Lee County Extension, Pat
Rooney, Lee County Master Gardener; Jenny Evans, Sanibel-Captive Conservation Foundation
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, religion, age, disability,
sex, sexual orientation, martial status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension
Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. 11/2013