Myrsine Cubana (Rapanea punctata)
Common Name Myrsine Cubana
Latin Name Rapanea punctata
Family Myrsinaceae
Native Yes
Zone 10A, 10B, 11
Height 8-20 Feet
Spread 3 to 5 Feet
Salt Water Tolerance Low
Salt Wind Tolerance High
Drought Tolerance Moderate
Soil Moist, well-drained limestone or sandy soils
Sun Full sun to light shade
Wildlife Attractant Birds and small ground dwelling animals; great cover
Main Uses
The Myrsine Cubana can be used for many different purposes. Reaching anywhere from 8-20 feet in height, it can be used as a screen in your landscape, or as a specimen tree due to its conspicuous fruit. It grows in a narrow fashion, giving space for other plants or accent palms. It can be exposed to full sun or partial shade, making the Myrsine a great option for many locations. It tolerates salt soils well, so feel free to plant in your coastal or hammock garden.
This shrub pairs very well with Wild Coffee, Bahama Coffee, Coontie, American Beautyberry, stoppers, and Jamaica Caper.
Appearance
The Myrsine Cubana is considered a small to large shrub reaching 8-20 feet tall. As mentioned above, it is a narrow shrub with a spread of 3 to 5 feet. Its conspicuous fruit growing in clusters along its bare branches creates a very cool looking shrub. Its leaves grow in clusters as well, mainly gathering on the tops of the branches. The small greenish flowers follow the lead of the fruit, sprouting along the bark.
Wildlife Attractant
This shrub makes for great wildlife cover for birds and small ground dwelling wildlife.
