Darling Plum (Reynosia septentrionalis)

Darling Plum, or Red Ironwood, is a small understory tree or shrub native to Florida, the West Indies, Cuba, and the Bahamas. Edible berries are enjoyed by humans and birds, and its attractive, evergreen foliage and brown, peeling bark make it an appealing specimen tree, windbreak, screen, or hedge.

This small tree, in the Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae), grows slowly, 8' to 12' high and occasionally up to 20'. It has oval, 1" to 1.5" leaves with a notch at the tip and inconspicuous yellow-green flowers that bloom in greatest abundance in late spring to early summer. Its edible, purple-black fruits are sweet with a similar taste to blueberries and can be eaten fresh or cooked. Locally, the leaves are steeped into a soothing, healthful tea, and the hard, fine-grained wood is used for cabinetry.

Darling Plum grows in full sun to light shade in sandy soil with some humus away from the salt spray. It is hardy in USDA zones 10 to 12.