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Simpson’s Stopper
A Florida native, Simpson’s stopper can be planted year-round. It is a slow grower. It grows to about 25 feet tall but only at a rate of 6 inches to a foot per year. The plant will tolerate alkaline and wet soils but it is also drought tolerant. Once established, it requires little or no irrigation. Simpson’s stopper will grow well in either sun or medium shade. It grows densely in full sun and is taller, more loosely branched when grown in shade. Simpson’s stopper shears well. It tolerates severe shearing making it suitable for use as a hedge, bonsai, topiary or grown in a large container. When used as a hedge, flowering and fruiting may be curtailed if it is trimmed too frequently. Simpson’s stopper is an evergreen and is not messy in the landscape. Simpson’s stopper flowers in light to heavy flushes throughout the year. The heaviest bloom however begins in February, spring, or early summer. The flowers are fragrant, small, showy, pure white, and clustered in cymes. There are 4 concave white petals and many white spreading stamens giving the plant a fuzzy appearance when in bloom. Heavy flowering is followed by fruiting. The fruit is a red berry, 2-seeded, and approximately 1/3 inches round. The fruit is borne singly but more often in clusters of 2-4 and is edible. Blue jays, cardinals, and mockingbirds, the state bird of Florida, feed on the fruit. The plant’s dense canopy also provides shelter for the birds. Butterflies and bees are also attracted to Simpson’s stopper.
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