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    Florida 4-H Forest Ecology

    Florida 4-H Forest Ecology

    • florida4h.ifas.ufl.edu
    • Florida 4-H Forest Ecology
    • Forest Ecology Contest
    • Contest Stations
    • Trees of Florida
    • Sugarberry
    • Identifying Characteristics

    Identifying Characteristics

    Size/Form: The sugarberry is a medium-sized tree that reaches 60 to 80 feet in height, 2 to 3 feet in diameter. It has a straight, short bole and a broad, rounded, and open crown with spreading or slightly drooping branches. The root system is also spreading.
    Leaves: Leaves are simple, alternate, and deciduous. The leaves are 2 to 5 inches long, 1-3 inches wide, oval to elliptical-shaped. The leaves taper to an acute apex and have wedge-shaped or asymmetrically rounded leaf bases. Leaf margins are entire or with a few teeth near the leaf apex. Leaf surfaces are light green, smooth, or occasionally rough above, paler and smooth below. Petioles are slender and smooth, about 1/3 inch long.
    Twigs: The twigs are slender, zigzagging, and greenish-brown to light reddish-brown. The pith is commonly chambered at the nodes and homogenous between the nodes.
    Bark: The bark on the sugarberry tree is gray-brown to silvery gray, thin and smooth with prominent, corky, wart-like structures on the outer bark.
    Flowers: The flowers of this tree are very small (1/8 inch) and greenish-white. They appear in the spring.
    Fruit: The fruit is an orange to yellowish, one-seeded drupe about ¼ inch in length with a thick skin and a thin layer of flesh. Each fruit is found on short stalks at the base of the leaf.
    Similar Trees on the Florida 4-H Forest Ecology Contest List:
    There are a few other trees on our list that also have simple, alternate leaves with pinnate venation and serrate margins.
    • American Beech
    • American Elm
    • River Birch


    Section Topics

    • Habitat and Range
    • Wildlife Use
    • Human Use
    • Identifying Characteristics
    • Images
    • Learn More
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    Florida 4-H Forest Ecology
    P.O. Box 110410 Gainesville, FL 32611-0410
    (352) 846-0547

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