Flower profile
Cocoplum
Chrysobalanus icaco
Cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco) is a shrub or small tree in the Chrysobalanaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly January–June across the U.S.
Cocoplum is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Florida it's most often seen in bloom in January–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Florida
Quick look
Chrysobalanus icaco, the cocoplum, paradise plum, abajeru or icaco is a low shrub or bushy tree found near sea beaches and inland throughout tropical Africa, tropical Americas and the Caribbean, and in southern Florida and the Bahamas. An evergreen, it is also found as an exotic species on other tropical islands, where it has become a problematic invasive.
- It belongs to the Chrysobalanaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 1 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Florida. NatureServe
- In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 6,239 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #24 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Florida, most flowering sightings come in January–June.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Florida
- Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records cocoplum in 1 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Florida.
Florida counties with USDA records: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach, Sarasota, St. Lucie.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Lower 48 states: Native; Puerto Rico: Native; U.S. Virgin Islands: Native.
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Chrysobalanus interior, Chrysobalanus pellocarpus, Chrysobalanus savannarum.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 13 counties across 1 states; the most are in Florida (13).
More from the Chrysobalanaceae family (1 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Gopher apple.
More Florida flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CHIC.
- iNaturalist, Chrysobalanus icaco: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Chrysobalanus icaco (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
- Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Chrysobalanus icaco (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Vijay Barve via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.