Mastic, False-Mastic

Sideroxylon foetidissimum Jacq.

sid-er-OX-ee-lon fet-id-ISS-ah-mum

Sapotaceae

Explanation of name: Sideroxylon refers to wood resembling iron. Foetidissimum means extremely smelly, probably in reference to the flowers, which some persons regard as unpleasantly scented.

Synonym (from WU2): Mastichodendron foetidissimum (Jacquin) H. J. Lam, Meded. Bot. Mus. Herb. Rijks. Univ. Utrecht 76: 521. 1939
Natural range: Coastal South Florida, Caribbean. Hammocks (FL)

Recognition: A potentially large hammock tree with leaves resembling those of a mango in overall shape and size but wavy (undulate) and containing near-milky sap. The terminal bud looks like a cat’s claw. The orange drupe is the size of an olive.

May be propagated by seed, although this tends to be slow.

Landscape uses: Modified from PB Post, Garden Guru article by G. Rogers:

They say Christopher Columbus discovered American Mastics and took them back to help demonstrate the treasures from wherever he thought he was. In the same family as Sapodilla, Satinleaf, Star-Apple, and Canistel, Mastics are dignified, slow-growing trees, with the capacity to become large. Given, oh, let’s say a century, they can become magnificent specimen trees 80 feet tall in spacious areas, though hurricanes, cold winter winds, car exhaust, and other vagaries of modern living will probably thwart such ultimate glory. Despite hard realities, mastics can be enjoyed before the passage of a century. Their most attractive features are varied shapes, coarse, dense texture, and unique glossy green foliage with wavy margins, like fried bacon. The flowers are inconspicuous, and smelly. Some noses don’t like the scent. The fruits are yellow-orange, about the size of a large olive and not for eating. If you have a year to spare, you can germinate the seed.