Virginia Tech Dendrology

guayacan Zygophyllaceae Guaiacum coulteri A. Gray symbol:
Leaf: Opposite or crowded on spur shoots, pinnately compound, evergreen (can be drought or cold deciduous), 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long, with 3 to 5 pairs of very small, elliptical leaflets, dark green above and below.
Flower: Attractive, 1/2 inch across, bright purple, 5 broad petals, occur either singly or in small clusters from leaf axils, appearing in large numbers during the dry season in early summer.
Fruit: Round, shiny, reddish brown, flattened capsule (1 inch long) with 2 to 4 lobes.
Twig: Slender, gray-brown with numerous short spur shoots.
Bark: Smooth light reddish brown.
Form: A dense, multi-branched, crooked limbed shrub or small tree up to 10 to 25 feet tall (in warmer areas) with a broad crown.
Looks like: soapbush

Additional Range Information: Guaiacum coulteri is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material © 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information