Woody > Pinckneya > Pinckneya bracteate > Pinckneya bracteate
Pinckneya bracteate
Fevertree
Origin: Native to northern Florida, southern Georgia, and the very southern tip of South Carolina. Listed as critically imperilled in South Carolina, vulnerable in Georgia, and threatened in Florida.
Mike's
Opinion
"
An uncommon but attractive shrub to small tree with very large and long blooming flowers. It makes for a good specimen plant due to its attractive rich green foliage and bright flowers that last throughout the spring and summer. It has no major pests or diseases, and can grow in shady areas and poor soil as long as it is moist.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Rubiaceae |
| Genus |
| Pinckneya |
| Species |
| bracteate |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 7b - 9a |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 7a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H4 - H5 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -18 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 0 |
| Height |
| 3 - 9 m |
| Spread |
| 1.5 - 4.5 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A deciduous shrub to small tree with large pink flowers resembling poinsettias in bloom from May to August. It is generally multi-stemmed and has large green leaves that stay the same colour throughout the year. |
| Landscape |
| The Fevertree is best used as a specimen due to its attractive and long lasting pink flowers. |
| Cultivation |
| Can be grown in full sun but responds best to partial shade, and seedlings under 1.5 meters tall may be more difficult to keep alive if in full sun. Soil should be sandy, acidic, moist and well draining. Plants may develop root rot in flooded conditions. Intolerant to any salt, including salt spray and brackish water. Can be killed if temperature drops bellow -18° C though the plant can be regrown from the roots. |
| Shape |
| A multi-stemmed shrub or small tree with a round and irregular crown. |
| ID Characteristic |
| The flowers are the most identifiable part of the plant, with small greenish yellow flowers and large pink sepals about 7.5 to 10 centimetres long. The leaves are a rich green and ovate shape, with an acute base and entire margins, as well as a fuzzy underside. The plant is typically multi-stemmed with thorns and white lenticels. |
| Pests |
| There are no significant pests or diseases. |
| Habitat |
| The fevertree may be found at the edges of swamps, bays and streams, as well as in low lying marshy woods. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Multi-stemmed with some texture to the bark, with thorns and white lenticels. Young branches are a brown grey colour and have a tendency to droop. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| The leaf buds are reddish brown, conical, and about 6 millimetres long. They are typically concentrated at the end of a branch and leave oval scars. |
| Leaf Description |
| The leaves have a rich green colour that doesn’t change during the autumn. They are ovate with an acute base and entire margins. They can be from 10 to 20 centimetres long and 4 centimetres wide. |
| Flower Description |
| The flowers are a greenish yellow colour and are quite small and unnoticeable. They have a 5 lobed calyx, 5 lobed corolla, and 5 exerted stamens. The sepals are extremely attractive however, ranging in colour from light pink to red and are 7.5 to 10 centimetres long. The flowers are in bloom from May to August, and attract Cloudless Sulfur Butterflies, Red Throated Hummingbirds, and bumblebees. |
| Fruit Description |
| The seeds are a dark brown capsule that is 12 to 16 millimetres in diameter. They are ripe in the late summer until fall and stay until winter. Wildlife isn’t attracted to them. |
| Colour Description |
| Leaves are a dark green with no change in colour in autumn. Flowers are a dull greenish yellow but with very large and attractive light pink to red sepals. Bark is brown with newer growth having more of a grey colour, and it has white lenticels. |
| Texture Description |
| The leaves have a waxy top surface and a fuzzy underside. The bark is somewhat textured and has thorns. |
| Notable Specimens |
| There is a fevertree specimen located in the North Carolina Botanical Garden. |
| Propagation |
| The fevertree can be propagated by planting cuttings off young plants, or by planting fall sown seeds which require no preemptive treatment. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| The inner bark of the fevertree can be used to treat fevers, giving the plant its name. |
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