Sideroxylon Species, Ironwood, Tough Bully, Tough Buckthorn, Tough Bumelia

S. tenax is a scrubby shrub to small tree that is native to the dry sandy areas, xeric sites, scrub, sandhills, coastal dunes, inland dun...Read Morees and similar dry sites in the coastal southeastern United States from coastal North Carolina south through Florida as far south as Miami-Dade and Collier counties. It grows in zones 8a to 10b.

It is a great plant for a native plant or wildlife garden and is suitable for xeriscaping. It is very drought-tolerant.

The leaves are rounded in shape.

S. tenax often has a dense, somewhat branching to branching growth habit. It may resemble an oak without closer examination.

The underside of the leaves is often brownish to brown or reddish-brown (copper).

This Florida native plant is recommended for landscapes on sandhills, old dunes or coastal hammock. The dark green leaves are backed wit...Read Moreh dense coppery colored hairs. It is related to the Satin Leaf of south Florida.

It has clusters of tiny white flowers at the leaf axils.

It does have thorns, so plant it away from walkways.