Red-Tipped Cocoplum (Red-tip Redtipped)
Red-tip Cocoplum, Chrysobalanus icaco, can quickly grow into a large bush or small tree growing up to 14 feet. Its foliage is nearly round, shiny, dark-green, leathery and very ornamental with the new growth tips displaying a bronze-red coloring. The fruit are edible, dark purple plum-like fruit. Coastal forms of Cocoplum are known as Horizontal or Dwarf Cocoplum and are more salt tolerant and produce a white to pink colored edible plum. The flowers are a small and creme colored in spring and early summer with the fruit following shortly after in the summer. It is a plant utilized for honey production. It will tolerate short periods of inundation. Red-tip Cocoplum will grow in full sun to shade and it becomes very drought tolerant after establishment. Cocoplum can be very frost sensitive. They take pruning well and are easy to grow as a popular and widely used native ornamental. Larval host for Epicorsia moths.
Brackish Water Inundation Tolerant