Flower profile

Gumbo limbo

Bursera simaruba

Gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba) is a shrub or small tree in the Burseraceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

Native to Florida

Gumbo limbo is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

1states where USDA records it

4,850FL sightings*

4,850U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Florida

Quick look

Bursera simaruba, the gumbo-limbo, copperwood, tourist tree, turpentine tree, almácigo, or West Indian birch, is a tree species in the family Burseraceae. It is native to the Neotropics, from South Florida to Mexico and the Caribbean to Brazil, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Bursera simaruba is prevalent in the Petenes mangroves ecoregion of the Yucatán, where it is a subdominant plant species to the mangroves.
From Wikipedia's article Bursera simaruba, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Burseraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree 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
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as green. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 40 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 4,850 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #39 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (8 records)

There are only a handful of Florida flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

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: S3, vulnerable 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.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 in Florida. ^NatureServe

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 gumbo limbo in 1 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Florida.

Florida counties with USDA records: Brevard, Broward, Collier, Hendry, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach, Pinellas, St. Lucie.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Gumbo limbo a low shade tolerance and high drought tolerance. It is rated for soil pH 6.0 to 7.0 and winter lows down to 40 °F.

Shade tolerance: Low
Drought tolerance: High
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 6.0 to 7.0
Minimum temperature tolerated: 40 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 365
Minimum root depth: 36 inches
Salinity tolerance: Medium
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Rapid
Active growth period: Spring
Fruit or seed: Red · Summer to Summer
Can be propagated by: cuttings, seed

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for BUSI. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Lower 48 states: Native; Navassa Island: Native; Puerto Rico: Native; U.S. Virgin Islands: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Elaphrium simaruba, Pistacia simaruba.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 13 counties across 1 states; the most are in Florida (13).

More Florida flowers

White beggarticks

Bidens alba

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: January–March

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: May–July

Largeflower Mexican clover

Richardia grandiflora

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in FL: November–December

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile BUSI.
iNaturalist, Bursera simaruba: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Bursera simaruba (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, Bursera simaruba (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Ashwin Srinivasan via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.