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Exostema caribaeum
Also called Princewood
Caribbean princewood is a small shrub or tree from the Caribbean, southern Florida and Central America, grown for its fragrant white flowers. It does best in a warm, frost-free spot with well-drained soil.
Exostema caribaeum, commonly known as princewood, Caribbean princewood, or Jesuit bark, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is a shrub or tree with papery leaves, white flowers, and brown capsule fruits.
Exostema caribaeum is native to forests in the United States, the Caribbean, and central America. The species was described in 1760. In 2018, the IUCN listed it as of Least Concern. It is used for medicine, timber, and horticulture.
The species is native to the wet tropical biome of the United States (southern Florida), the Caribbean, Mexico, and central America. It grows in arid coastal thickets, dry forests, and pine woodlands. The species grows on solid limestone.
In the Lucayan Archipelago, Exostema caribaeum is used to treat anemia, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, low blood pressure, stomach aches, and ringworm. Bark extracts are used to treat fever, and to increase intoxication from alcohol. The species is also used in strengthening teas, and to increase appetite.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Exostema caribaeum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
