Herb: Ironwood


Latin name: Bumelia tenax


Family: Sapotaceae (Sapodilla Family)



Edible parts of Ironwood:

Fruit - raw. A sweet flavour. It is up to 14mm long.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
8 m
(26 feet)

Flowering:
July

Habitat of the herb:

Dry sandy soils, in sand-pine forests and with coastal oak.

Other uses of Ironwood:

Wood - heavy, hard, close grained. Of no commercial value because the trees are too small.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - we have no details on this species but would suggest that if ripe seed can be obtained it should be sown straight away in a cold greenhouse. Stored seed can be sown in late winter or early spring in a greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation of Ironwood:

Dry sandy soils, in sand-pine forests and with coastal oak.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Bumelia tenax:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.