Chittamwood, Bumelia, Gum Bully, Gum Bumelia
Sideroxylon lanuginosum Michx.
Sapotaceae
Description
Chittamwood is a native, semi-evergreen, medium-sized tree that commonly grows with multiple trunks. It can reach heights greater than 48 feet or 14.5 m. The dark green leaves are oblong and resemble those of a live oak tree. Its bark is gray to brown, and the branches have sharp spines at tand he ends. Four varieties of S. lanuginosum occur in Texas including Gum Bumelia (var. albicans), Spiny Bumelia (var. rigida), Brazos Bumelia (var. texana), and Common Bumelia (var. oblongifolia). From April to July, it produces clusters of small, white flowers. In the fall, the oblong berries turn from bright green to purplish black as they ripen in August through November. Chittamwood's fruit is consumed by various species of birds and by some small mammals. The leaves are browsed by white-tailed deer and cattle.Habitat
Chittamwood is found in various soil types but especially on bluffs of rivers or streams. It has low to medium water use and utilizes dry soils.Images
Plant Characteristics
Flower Color: White
Seed Type: Fruit/Berry
Duration: Perennial
Stem Texture: Prickly, Spiny, or Thorny
Growth Habit: Shrub (Woody), Tree
Leaf Shape
: Simple with Pinnate or Parallel Venation
Season: Warm
Distribution
: 01 - Pineywoods, 02 - Gulf Prairies and Marshes, 03 - Post Oak Savannah, 04 - Blackland Prairies, 05 - Cross Timbers and Prairies, 06 - South Texas Plains, 07 - Edwards Plateau, 08 - Rolling Plains, 10 - Trans-Pecos
Distributions
Distribution refers to the ecological region in Texas that a plant has been found. You can also view a clickable map.
Collection: Brush and Weeds
