The pitch apple

Some plants have names related to uses they no longer have -  the pitch apple is an example.  In the old days, pitch-apple “pitch” was scrapped from the seeds and used to caulk boats.  The “apple” portion of the plant is misleading as the fruit is poisonous.  However, pitch-apple has been given a new use as a landscape plant.  While it can only be dependably used in the warmer parts of the County, the pitch-apple is a broadleaf evergreen that can make wonderful hedges and privacy screens, as well as an ornamental subject for planters.  Have you heard about the pitch-apple?  Let’s talk.

The pitch-apple is considered a native plant normally found in Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe County Keys and regions well south of there.  It has thick, dark green leaves noted to retain written words gouged into the leaf tissue – aka autograph tree.  During the summer, the pitch-apple produces three-inch pink/white flowers at night.  These nocturnal showy flowers are followed by three-inch diameter fleshy, green, poisonous fruit.  When ripe, the fruit turns black and splits open revealing red seeds and  black, sticky pitch. 

This native plant is a relative newcomer to the market in our area.  About six years ago I noticed a hedge of pitch-apple planted around a commercial property in Port Charlotte.  It looked great and seemed to grow beautifully.  However, after several cold winters, it had frozen down to the ground and did not grow back.  Not far from this sight around another commercial property, I noticed pitch-apple was planted with other some other landscape plants within beds situated throughout  a vast asphalt parking area.  These plantings survived because of the simple fact that the warmth stored in the pavement during the day was sufficient to protect these pitch-apples from freezing on cold winter nights.  The lesson learned was that pitch-apples are hardy from zones 10 b and southward.  This means that will do well right along the immediate coast in Charlotte County, but as you move inland, unless you have them planted in known “micro-climates”, provide some type of protection during cold spells, or have them potted in containers that can moved indoors, they will most likely freeze. 

With that in mind, the biggest pitch-apple trees that I have seen planted in our area are about six-feet tall.  Compare that to some I saw in Naples which were over fifteen–feet tall.  As such, it can easily be pruned to the size you want.  Adapted to full sun to part shade, the pitch-apple is tolerant of sandy soil, and best of all, it is very salt-spray tolerant and fits well with seaside plantings.  Once established, this native is highly drought-tolerant as well.

Besides your standard pitch-apple, Clusia rosea, there are some cultivars available including a variegated form called ‘Variegata’ with yellow and green foliage.  There is also a cultivar with smaller leaves called ‘Nana’.  As with many tropical plants in our area, location is very important in regards to cold tolerance and ultimately, sustainable survival.  For more information on ornamental plants suitable for our area, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Gilman E. F. & Watson, D. G. (2014) Clusia rosea: Pitch Apple.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS. 

http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?ID=2180 - Clusia rose.

Pipoly III, J. J. &  Granson S. (2008), Urban Horticulture Technician Florida-Friendly Shrubs for Perimeter Plantings.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS - Broward County Extension