Family: Sapindaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Thrives in tropical climates
- Naturalized through the Caribbean and Central America from Brazil to Florida
- Unripe and overripe fruit and seeds are highly toxic
- Seedlings tolerant of deep shade
- Tolerates many soil types
- Can reach maturity as early as 3 years
- Seeds dispersed by people, large birds and frugivorous mammals
- Trees often sprout vigorously from stumps
Low Risk Traits:
- Despite naturalization, no negative impacts to agriculture or the natural environment have been documented in introduced range
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
- Leaves palatable to grazing animals
- Landscaping and ornamental value
- Fruit edible at the ripe stage (toxic otherwise)
- Will not spread vegetatively
- Large fruit and seeds unlikely to be inadvertently dispersed
- Seeds will not form a persistent seed bank (and do not store well)