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Black Ironwood Krugiodendron ferreum
Black ironwood is appropriate for any sized
yard anywhere in South Florida, especially as a street tree in a hot, windy,
sunny, well-drained location with limited space. It takes well the reflected heat
of the asphalt river that runs through your neighborhood.
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With the hardest wood of all the hardwoods, black ironwood
generally tops out at under thirty feet. This is far shorter than
the trees of Tennessee, which can be three times that tall, but suitable
for our windy, sub-tropical locale.
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It is one of the best-behaved trees you will ever meet,
needing no irrigation when established, and minimal trimming every year or
so.
Black ironwood is great as a specimen in a sunny corner
(photo above), or for naturalized screening in the 5' to 25'+ range (photo
at right). |
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The tiny perfect flowers are not very noticeable (considered
"insignificant" by botanical classifiers), but are a source of nectar for
pollinators. I'd say that has at least some significance. |
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A multiplicity of birds go for the fruits, which are just about the size of
M&Ms.
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During the spring, we had cardinals nesting in the black
ironwoods in pots around the nursery. We had to keep customers from
buying them until the fledglings had flown away. |
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Far left photo, mother on nest; left photo,
two hatchlings. |
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Yucch! What's going on with that black ironwood?
Sooty mold invariably appears on the leaves of black ironwoods in humid
locations, such as in our nursery, where the plants are closely grouped, and
regularly irrigated and a moist little micro-climate develops. |
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The sooty mold is primarily a rainy season phenomenon
when water cannot evaporate from the surface of the leaf. It does
not penetrate into the leaf, and does not affect the health of the plant
You will not have this problem if you avoid planting them
in places with poor air circulation or overly-humid conditions.
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When the weather becomes drier, the new growth emerges with
a clean, glossy, golden sheen. |
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It does not have an
invasive root system, or produce large amounts of litter.
At left is a close-up of the trunk of the 15-foot specimen in the photo above.
The diameter at the base is about 8 inches. |
Ironwood gets its name
because it sinks when put in water. It has the densest wood of any
tree in North America.
Along with gumbo limbo, stands of black
ironwood used to develop in the interior of coastal hammocks in South
Florida, the Keys and throughout the Caribbean.
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The Keys pioneers used it for
firewood and fence posts. In the Caribbean area, all of the largest stands
were logged out decades ago. If we begin replanting now, in 50 years
people will be able to enjoy large specimens.
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At left and below, are photos of various garden specimens, about 15' high
now. |
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This lizard is guarding the trunk of his favorite tree. |
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Black ironwood forms a nice canopy that is pleasant to
relax under and gaze at the sky.
When the tree is small, you may place a love-seat in its
shade. As the canopy develops, there will be room for a playpen.
Since you're stuck in the office today, use these photos to
imagine yourself lying on a blanket looking up at the sky. |
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We've got plenty of nice ones in 3-gal. containers, about
3'-4' high. |
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At left, in 10-gal., about 5'-6' planted height.
Below left, in 25-gal.; they vary in height from approximately 8' to
10' high.
Below, close-up of wind-tolerant, multi-trunk growth habit. Black
ironwood shrugs off high winds with a technology similar to the one used
in making the centuries-old, earthquake-resistant paper houses in Japan: quiverability. |
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Call for prices, or come by to visit them in person.
Plant Creations, Inc.
305-248-8147
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