Mastic
Sideroxylon foetidissimum
Mastic is one of our tallest South Florida trees. It is naturally found along the coast from the Keys through Merritt Island, yet occasionally inland growing in dry, fertile soils. Along the eastern edge of Lake Okeechobee near Route 76 are trees 80 or more feet tall with four foot diameter trunks.
Mastic is very tolerant of salt air and short periods of salt water flooding. It mixes nicely with other tall coastal trees like Live Oak, Gumbo Limbo, Pigeon Plum, Strangler Fig, Hackberry, Wild Tamarind and Red Mulberry.
Plant along the sunny edge of this group of trees with your favorite hammock shrubs like Jamaica Caper, Florida Boxwood, Horizontal Cocoplum, Randia, Beautyberry, Blackbead and Maidenberry. Only the most shade tolerant shrubs or herbs can be planted in the deep shade of this tree.
For this try Wild Coffee, Marlberry, Wild Plumbago, Dicliptera and Basketgrass. Snowberry will grow out from the shady edge, up into the nearest tree or shrub and cascade down. The white carpet of flowers followed by white fruit are beautiful sights.
Mastic has a perfect flower with male and female parts on each producing olive sized orange fruit with sweet sticky pulp and a large single seed. The fruit ripen in February and are an important food for wildlife. You may want to plant this away from pavement.