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Gumtree

Sapium glandulosum

Also called Milktree

In Singapore: Bolivian Rubber (Grown in Singapore)

Gumtree
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0

Sapium glandulosum, the gumtree or milktree, is a large tropical tree of the spurge family, reaching up to 30 m with milky latex and multiple trunks. It is grown mainly in warm, wet tropical climates, where it needs plenty of space and sun.

Family
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Full sun
Water
Water regularly during establishment and in dry spells; established trees tolerate seasonal rainfall.
Soil
Well-drained, fertile soil; tolerates a range of soil types.
Temperature
Warm tropical conditions, roughly 20–35 °C; damaged by frost.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: The milky latex is irritating to skin and eyes and is harmful if swallowed.
Native range
S. Mexico to Trop. America
Climate
wet tropical

About

Sapium glandulosum is a species of tree in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is native to the Neotropics from Mexico and the Caribbean south to Argentina, and it has been cultivated elsewhere. It is the most common Sapium species. Its common names include gumtree, milktree, leche de olivo, and olivo macho.

This is a species of tree up to 30 meters tall, usually with some buttress roots and multiple trunks. Smaller woody parts can have short, thick spines. It has a thin, patchy, peeling, scarred outer bark and a granular inner bark. It produces large amounts of milky latex. The alternately arranged leaves have toothed oblong or oval leaves up to 27 centimeters long by 8 wide. New leaves have gland-tipped teeth. The species is monoecious. The inflorescence is a spikelike arrangement of clusters of male flowers with a few female flowers at the base.

[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Sapium glandulosum 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.

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