Jamaica Dogwood
Piscidia piscipula
A medium size tree to 35 feet tall that can tolerate being near the ocean but not continuous salt spray or inundation.
The white or pink flowers are showy in the spring while the tree is briefly leafless. Very drought tolerant from the Keys up to Palm Beach County but must have some organic matter in the soil.
A beautiful specimen tree or mixed with other hammock trees of the Keys such as gumbo limbo, wild tamarind, mastic, pigeon plum and soldier wood.
The seeds are a dry papery pod and are easily swept up in the fall. The leaves are food for the cassius blue butterfly and the hammock skipper.