General Description: This small tree grows to approximately 30ft (10m) tall. The bark is gray and furrowed. The leaves, arranged alternately on the stem, are elliptic, and 2-5in (5-12cm) long. The many flowered, plume-shaped inflorescence (flowering portion of plant) is quite showy and is a distinctive characteristic of this species. The flowers have four white petals that are up to 0.5in (14mm) long. The fruit is a round capsule, 0.3-0.5in (10-14mm) in diameter. Flowering period is from June to July with fruiting period from July to August. The species is believed to be extinct in South Carolina.

General Habitat: Found in generally sunny to partially shady conditions on sand ridges, oak ridges, evergreen hammocks, and sandstone outcrops in a variety of sandy soil conditions ranging from moist to extremely dry. .

Flowering and fruiting chart