Flower profile

Swamp titi

Cyrilla racemiflora

Swamp titi (Cyrilla racemiflora) is a shrub or small tree in the Cyrillaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–June across the U.S.

Native to Mississippi

Swamp titi is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Mississippi it's most often seen in bloom in May–June.

10states where USDA records it

407MS sightings*

4,062U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Mississippi

Quick look

Cyrilla racemiflora, the sole species in the genus Cyrilla, is a flowering plant in the family Cyrillaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas, from the southeastern United States, south through the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America to northern Brazil and Venezuela in South America.
From Wikipedia's article Cyrilla, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Cyrillaceae 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 10 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Mississippi. ^NatureServe
In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 30 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 407 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #62 among the 154 flowers on our Mississippi list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Mississippi, most flowering sightings come in May–June.

Flowering records by month in Mississippi (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (76 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: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
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?

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 swamp titi in 10 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia.

Mississippi counties with USDA records: Clarke, Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Stone, Walthall, Wayne.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Swamp titi a low shade tolerance and low drought tolerance. It is rated for soil pH 4.9 to 6.8 and winter lows down to -6 °F.

Shade tolerance: Low
Drought tolerance: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 4.9 to 6.8
Minimum temperature tolerated: -6 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 218
Annual precipitation range: 40 to 70 inches
Minimum root depth: 24 inches
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fertility requirement: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Short
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: cuttings, seed
Commercial availability: No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CYRA. 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; Puerto Rico: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Cyrilla antillana.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 241 counties across 10 states; the most are in Georgia (56), Florida (44), North Carolina (44).

More from the Cyrillaceae family (1 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Buckwheat tree.

More Mississippi flowers

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Magnolias

Magnolia

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Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CYRA.
iNaturalist, Cyrilla racemiflora: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Cyrilla (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Cyrilla racemiflora (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Raven Dandridge via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.