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White milkwood

Tabernaemontana alba

White milkwood
Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0

Tabernaemontana alba, the white milkwood, is a shrub or small tree in the dogbane family, native to Mexico, Central America, Cuba and Colombia. It needs warmth, bright light and a humid, frost-free climate.

Family
Apocynaceae (Dogbane family)
Grows as
Tree, Shrub
Light
Bright indirect, Part shade
Water
Keep soil evenly moist during the growing season and let the top few centimetres dry out before watering again.
Soil
Well-drained, fertile loam or a peat-based potting mix with added perlite.
Temperature
18–30 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: Plants in the Tabernaemontana genus contain alkaloids and milky latex that can irritate skin and cause stomach upset if eaten; keep it away from children.
Native range
Mexico to Colombia, Cuba
Climate
wet tropical

About

Tabernaemontana alba, the white milkwood, is a species of plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to Central America, Mexico, Cuba, and Colombia.

Other Tabernaemontana plants

Tabernaemontana donnell-smithii · Tabernaemontana pauli · Tabernaemontana tomentosa · Tabernaemontana africana · Alternate Leaved Crape Jasmine · Tabernaemontana amplifolia · Tabernaemontana amygdalifolia · Tabernaemontana angulata · Tabernaemontana antheonycta · Tabernaemontana apoda · Tabernaemontana arborea · Attenuate Tabernaemontana

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Tabernaemontana alba 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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