Buttonwood

Scientific name: Conocarpus erectus

POWO Status: Shrub or Tree

IUCN Red List threat level: Least Concern

GPS Location: 17° 42′ 58.88″ N, 64° 49′ 45.68″ W

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Phenological Markers – Conocarpus erectus (Buttonwood)
Family: Combretaceae
Common Names: Buttonwood, Button Mangrove, Silver Buttonwood (for the variety with silvery foliage)
Local Names: Often simply “Buttonwood” in the Virgin Islands and coastal areas

🌳 Description:
A versatile, salt-tolerant tree or large shrub commonly found in coastal areas, often forming part of the landward edge of mangrove communities. It can grow as a dense shrub or reach heights of 10–15 meters as a tree. Leaves are simple, oblong, and leathery. The bark is rough and gray-brown. The silver-leafed form is popular in landscaping.

🌿 Leafing:

  • Leaf Type: Simple, alternate, leathery
  • Phenology Notes: Evergreen with occasional leaf turnover
  • New Leaves: Emerge bright green; silver form has striking pale or grayish foliage
  • Adaptation: Tolerates high salinity, poor soils, and periodic drought

🌸 Flowering:

  • Blooming Season: Typically spring to early summer (March–June), but can flower intermittently year-round in tropical climates
  • Flowers: Tiny, greenish-white, in dense, rounded heads (“buttons”); not showy but important for pollinators
  • Pollinators: Bees and small insects

🍈 Fruiting:

  • Fruit Type: Woody, cone-like heads that resemble buttons, giving the tree its common name
  • Fruit Season: Summer to fall (May–September)
  • Notes: Fruits dry and persist on the tree; not edible, but useful for ID and wildlife habitat

📍Habitat & Range:

  • Native to: Florida, Caribbean, Central and South America, West Africa
  • Common in: Coastal woodlands, saline flats, and as the upland fringe of mangrove zones
  • Found abundantly on: St. Croix and throughout the Virgin Islands, especially near salt ponds and coastal edges

🌱 Ecological Importance:

  • Stabilizes coastal soils and buffers storm surge
  • Provides habitat for birds and insects
  • Can be used for reforestation and erosion control
  • Wood is hard and resistant, used historically in cabinetry and charcoal

📷 Notes for Photography:

  • Capture:
    • Overall shape of tree (especially windswept coastal forms)
    • Bark and leaf detail (especially on silver form)
    • Flower “buttons” and dried seed heads
  • Best seasons:
    • Spring and early summer for flowers
    • Summer through early fall for fruit clusters
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