False Mastic – Sideroxylon foetidissimum
False Mastic, Sideroxylon foetidissimum, is a large, 25 meters, evergreen fruit bearing tree, indigenous to the dry forests of Central America and the Caribbean. The False Mastic makes a nice specimen near seashores attributable to its good salt tolerance. It has a large, straight trunk, ranging 1-1.2 meters in diameter, at maturity, robust branches and an asymmetric crown.
Sideroxylon foetidissimum leaves are oblong, glossy and with wavy edges. The upper leaf surface is bright green; the lower is yellow-green. They are clustered near the end of twigs and remain green for more than a year.
Flowers are microscopic, yellow and with a cheese-like odor. They are born on dense axillary bundles and the plant is in flower on and off all year round.
False Mastic Fruit
The fruits of the False Mastic are small, about 2 cm long, rounded, yellow-orange in color, with a mucilaginous tasty pulp when ripe. Fruit is commonly eaten fresh.
False Mastic Propagation Methods
Tree propagation is by seed. Seeds should be scarified before planting for quicker germination. False Mastic is a slow-growing, quite drought resistant, cold hardy (-6ºC) and a good salt tolerant plant.
It is most commonly grown for its beautiful, yellow-orange heartwood, edible fruit, but also as an excellent shade or high screening tree. It has been heavily lumbered and is now rare in the wild. Sideroxylon foetidissimum is a member of the Sapotaceae family, the genus Sideroxylon. The family has approximately 800 species noted for their edible fruits such as the Star Apple, Abiu and Sapodilla.
False Mastic, Sideroxylon foetidissimum
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