Flower profile

Gopher apple

Geobalanus oblongifolius

Gopher apple (Geobalanus oblongifolius) is a shrub in the Chrysobalanaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–June across the U.S.

Native to Florida

Gopher apple 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 April–June.

6states where USDA records it

3,991FL sightings*

4,506U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Florida

Quick look

Geobalanus oblongifolius, commonly known as gopher apple, is an evergreen shrub. It grows in the sandhills of peninsular Florida as well as coastal Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina and Georgia.
From Wikipedia's article Geobalanus oblongifolius, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 6 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Florida. ^NatureServe
In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,991 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #65 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Florida, most flowering sightings come in April–June.

Flowering records by month in Florida (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (198 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Florida: Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S5, secure in Florida. ^{FAC 5B-40.0055}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: LA (SH), SC (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

For petsNot well documented

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 gopher apple in 6 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Chrysobalanus incanus, Chrysobalanus oblongifolius, Chrysobalanus pallidus, Chrysobalanus retusus, Geobalanus pallidus.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 101 counties across 6 states; the most are in Florida (58), Georgia (25), Mississippi (10).

More from the Chrysobalanaceae family (1 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Cocoplum.

More Florida flowers

Cocoplum

Chrysobalanus icaco

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🌼 Blooms in FL: January–June

White beggarticks

Bidens alba

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🌼 Blooms in FL: January–March

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

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🌼 Blooms in FL: May–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LIMI5.
iNaturalist, Geobalanus oblongifolius: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Geobalanus oblongifolius (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, Geobalanus oblongifolius (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Jay Horn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.