Tallowwood
(Hog Plum)
Ximenia americana
Plant Family: Ximeniaceae
Leaves: Alternate, simple, oblong to elliptic, to 8 cm, margins reflexed up from the midrib, apices rounded or notched, sharp spines in the leaf axils; spur branches may be present; the crushed leaves have an almond odor.
Bark: Brown to gray, smooth to fissured.
Flowers: Small, yellow-white, with 4 petals, held on long stalks; throughout the year, peaking in the late spring.
Fruits: A rounded green drupe to about 3 cm in diameter, ripening to yellow-orange; edible. Reportedly eaten by gopher tortoises and other wildlife for the high energy content.
Habitat: Dry hammocks, thickets, pinelands, and sand pine scrub.
Growth Form: Shrub to small tree.
Similar Species: Distinguished from thorny plants in the genus Sideroxylon, such as Saffron Plum, by the relatively large yellow-orange fruits.
Comments: Tallowwood has a remarkably broad global and tropical distribution – it is found in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas! Indigenous people use the plant for both food and medicine.
