Casasia clusiifolia: Seven Year Apple

This Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ publication is part of a series originally written by Edward F. Gilman. Visit https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/ to learn more about creating and maintaining attractive landscapes that protect Florida's water resources and environment.

Introduction

Seven year apple (Casasia clusiifolia) is an evergreen shrub or small tree, and is one of Florida's most exceptional native, salt-tolerant plants that naturally occurs in the coastal hammocks of south Florida and the Keys, as well as parts of the West Indies. This large shrub has a rounded growth habit and reaches a height of 20 feet and spread of 15 feet (Figure 1). The beautiful, glossy, leathery foliage is clustered near the branch tips (Figure 2). Foliage is obovate, evergreen, and 4 to 8 inches in length. The seven year apple has axillary clusters of white, pink-tipped flowers that emerge in the spring and early summer (Figure 3). These flowers are approximately 1-inch long and have a very sweet, heavy fragrance that attracts butterflies and moths. As this plant is dioecious, separate male and female plants are required in proximity to produce fruit. Seven year apple has large lemon-shaped fruits that may persist for more than a year (Figure 4). The common name of this plant, seven year apple, refers to the fruit’s extended maturation period. The fruits are green when they first appear and gradually turn yellow and ripen in about one year. Yellow fruits then turn black and become wrinkled. The dark brown pulp inside the black fruits is edible but is filled with many seeds. This pulp is very appealing to the mockingbirds, and they hollow out the ripe fruits and leave the empty skins hanging on the plant. Seven year apple makes an excellent hedge or screen, with its dense, large, evergreen foliage. It may also be used as a border. This plant is suitable for coastal landscaping, as it is salt tolerant and storm surge resistant.

General Information

Scientific name: Casasia clusiifolia

Pronunciation: kuh-SAW-see-uh kloo-see-if-FOLE-ee-uh

Common name(s): seven year apple

Family: Rubaceae

Plant type: shrub

USDA hardiness zones: 10B through 11B (Figures 5 and 6)

Planting month for zones 10 and 11: year-round

Origin: native to Florida

Uses: hedge; screen; border; coastal landscaping; recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; near a deck or patio; specimen; small parking lot islands (< 100 square feet in size); medium-sized parking lot islands (100–200 square feet in size); large parking lot islands (> 200 square feet in size)

Availability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the plant

Description

Height: 8 to 20 feet

Spread: 8 to 15 feet

Plant habit: round

Plant density: dense

Growth rate: slow

Texture: coarse

Use and Management

Seven year apple should be planted in a full sun or partial shade location in the landscape. It requires well-drained soil and is very drought and salt tolerant. The showy flowers and edible, wildlife-attracting fruit make this plant an interesting addition to the landscape. As this plant is dioecious, separate male and female plants are required in proximity for the female plant to produce fruit.

The seven year apple may be used in the same way that photinia or pittosporum is used in the landscape. Plant them on 4- to 5-foot centers to create a hedge or screen of medium-textured soft foliage. This plant is also useful to soften the corners of a commercial building. This plant is generally too big for many residential landscapes unless they are regularly pruned. Forming a small, multi-trunk tree by removing lower branches as the plant grows keeps this plant within bounds to be used in the home landscape. Seven year apple can also serve as a wind break on the oceanfront.

Pests and Diseases

No pests or diseases of major concern.