Red Tip Cocoplum Plant

Size and Habit

• The mature size and growth habit or silhouette of the cocoplum varies greatly. Genes and environmental conditions contribute to how large the plant matures. In drier, winder and sandier soils, such as along the coast, cocoplum tends to grow with a lower habit, perhaps up to 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Farther inland, and in garden settings, cocoplums may attain a larger shrubby or small treelike form that's 6 to 15 feet tall and 8 feet wide. Plants are generally slow growing when sunlight and moisture are lacking. The reddish new growth occurs on plants native to inland areas of southern Florida, according to Plant Creations, a native plant nursery in Homestead, Florida.

Features

• New branches are smooth and green and display young leaves that are highly glossy and reddish. Typically, plants with extraordinarily red new growth are referred to as red-tip cocoplums, to help differentiate them from the typical, slightly less ornamental cocoplums. The leaves are rounded with a hint of heartlike silhouette. Leaves are arranged in an alternating pattern in two upright rows or ranks on branches. Tiny greenish white flowers occur in clusters at the bases of leaves on branch ends any time of year. If pollinated, the blossoms become one-seeded fruits that are white to dark purple in color -- the "cocoplums."

Uses

• Red-tip cocoplums provide an ornamental aspect to a landscape with any array of soils and light exposures. A plant may be grown singly as an informal accent or small tree, or in a dense row and sheared as a hedge. Cocoplums also can stabilize dunes near the coast to diminish erosion. The fruits are edible raw, with their slightly sweet to bland taste, or made into jelly or preserves. The seeds of the fruits are rich in oils and are edible. Carib Indians strung the seeds on sticks and ignited them for use like candles. Moreover, a specialty honey is made from the nectar.

Growing Considerations

• Grow any form of cocoplum in regions that rarely or never experience frosts and freezes, such as in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9b and warmer. Full sun exposures encourage the densest growth and production of leaves, flowers and fruits. It tolerates partial shade. Any soil that does not flood is amenable to growing cocoplum. An evenly moist, fertile soil with organic matter promotes faster growth during the heat of summer compared to drier, unirrigated and sandy soils.