• Photo by: Kari Ruder, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS

Citharexylum spinosum

fiddlewood

Nomenclature

Common Name:

fiddlewood

Synonym(s):

Citharexylum fruticosum

Genus species:

Citharexylum spinosum

Family:

Verbenaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

12 - 25 feet ft tall by to 12 feet ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

young fruits orange, mature to brown

Phenology:

Evergreen. Dioecious. Flowers and fruits throughout the year. Moderately long lived (Nelson 2003)

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Aroma/Showy Fruitsagrance, Hurricane Wind Resistance

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Wonderful in a mixed hedge, can be sheared to desired height, but the flowers and berries are too good to be missed. Excellent specimen plant. This plant is naturally multi-stemmed; to form a tree, the stems must be continually reduced to one until a trunk is formed.

Considerations:

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Availability:

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Propagation:

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Light:

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Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

5.0 - 8.0

Suitable to Grow In:

9B,10A,10B,11

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Larval host for fiddlewood leafroller moth ( Epicorsia oedipodalis ) ( Institute for Regional Conservation).





Nectar plant for butterflies.





Attracts bee pollinators.

Berries eaten by many species of bids and other wildlife.

Native Habitats:

Dry sites. Pinelands, maritime and sub-tropical or tropical hammocks

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

The strong and heavy wood of this plant are also the source of its name - it has long been used for musical instruments, including violins, guitars and others.

General Comments:

The shiny green leaves, gently fragrant flowers and glossy berries make this a charming plant. Can occasionally be subject to defoliation by the moth larvae, but these are an excellent food source for birds and their nestlings, and the fiddlewood regenerates quickly.