Devilwood

Size, growth and what to expect

Devilwood grows slowly, about a foot a year in our growth estimator. It makes a tree of 15 to 30 feet with a crown 10 to 20 feet wide, and in the wild it occasionally reaches 40 feet.

Clusters of small, creamy white flowers open from March into May on last year's growth, and they are strongly fragrant. On female trees the dark blue fruit, half an inch to an inch long and shaped like a small olive, ripens from August into October. It can hang on until spring, and birds and small mammals eat it.

It grows wild on the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plain from southeast Virginia to Florida and west to Louisiana, and across much of Mexico. It lives in hammocks, maritime and inland sandy forests, and along streams and swamp margins. NatureServe ranks it critically imperiled in Virginia, at the north end of its range.

How to grow Devilwood

Devilwood does best in part shade and also grows in full sun or deep shade, in a moist soil that drains well. It tolerates clay or sand, occasional flooding, salt spray and wind. Once established it takes some drought. Plant it 15 feet from a wall and at least 15 feet from overhead wires, and set trees 10 feet apart for a screen.

Saplings ship bare-root or potted. Plant them in a hole wider than the roots and no deeper. Set the root flare at the soil line, put the native soil back in, and keep the mulch clear of the stems.

Water weekly through the first summer and in dry spells until it is established. Shape it soon after it blooms, since next spring's flowers form on this season's growth. Deer seldom browse it.

Trees are male or female, and only females bear the dark blue fruit, so plant three or more seedlings for a male and a female. Devilwood is difficult to raise from seed or from cuttings. It has no pest or disease of major concern.