This tree is native to the sub-tropical and tropical areas of Africa and Asia in the Cornaceae family. It is found in open areas of forest or forest margins between 65 and 10,800 feet elevation. This tree will grow 26 to 73 feet in its native habitat, but here in North America, it grows as a shrub or small tree 8 to 15 feet. tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. In cold winter areas, the top will die down, but it will resprout from the base in spring. Plant it in moist well-drained soil in the full sun. Propagate by seed or stem cuttings. Minimal pruning is needed, except to shape if desired. It is an attractive plant with some variation in its size, leaves and fruit depending on whether it is native to Asia or Africa. The small flowers are white and fragrant and appear in spring. The bright green leaves are attractive. It is difficult to find for sale and buying specimens that come from the higher elevations will have better success. Use as a specimen, in a shrub hedge or as a small shade tree. It can be used in an Asian garden or grown in containers. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Leaf spot, root rot and bacterial blight are possible fungal diseases. Insects are spider mites, aphids and scale
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Oval
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen; Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Ovate; Palmasect
Leaf margin
Dentate; Entire; Lobed
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves 4-6 × 1.5-3 inches and vary from narrowly elliptic to broadly ovate. The apex is acute to mucronate and the base is rounded or subcuneate to subcordate. Margins can be entire or lobed and dentate depending on where it's native to. Fall color is a muted yellow. The undersurface of the leaves have tufts of hairs.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Cyme
Flower detail
Small white fragrant flowers with 5-8 petals
Fruit color
Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit detail
Oval purple drupe that ripens late summer into fall.
Bark color
Dark Gray
Bark detail
The bark is smooth and grey.
Stem detail
Branchlets pubescent when young, later glabrous
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
East tropical Africa; E. Asia - China, India, Myanmar, Thailand,
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Uses (ethnobotany)
Used in Chinese and African herbal medicine. Oil from the seeds can be used to light lamps