hammock velvetseed

Guettarda elliptica Sw.

Hammock velvetseed grows as a shrub or small tree, commonly around 2–3 m tall in the Bahamian account but capable of reaching about 7 m. Its leaves occur in opposite pairs, with small triangular stipules occupying the space between their stalks. These paired leaves give the slender branches an orderly appearance. Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve: Guettarda elliptica

Botanical name

Guettarda elliptica Sw. is an accepted species in Rubiaceae. The supplied name matches the accepted name and author citation. Kew Plants of the World Online: Guettarda elliptica

Recognizing the plant

The oval leaf blades have smooth margins and tips that may be rounded or end in a tiny point. They can reach about 8 cm long. A useful close-up feature is the fine, pressed, silky hair covering on the underside; the upper surface is relatively smooth. Small, pinkish-white flowers appear in few-flowered clusters arising from leaf axils. Their petals are fused into a tubular corolla that opens into spreading lobes. Mature fruits become red to purplish. Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve: Guettarda elliptica USDA Forest Service: Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Bloom window

Southern Florida, United States

University of Florida’s South Florida tree guide lists spring flowering. University of Florida IFAS: Native Trees for South Florida

Native range

The native range includes southern Florida, the Caribbean, and Mexico south to Venezuela. In the Lucayan Archipelago it inhabits dry broadleaf evergreen woodland and scrub, locally called coppice, as well as pine woodland. Puerto Rican records include coastal thickets. Kew Plants of the World Online: Guettarda elliptica Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve: Guettarda elliptica USDA Forest Service: Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.