Family: Zygophyllaceae

Lignum-vitae is a small to medium tree with golden-tinged foliage and small but pretty lavender flowers. The fruit is golden-yellow, heart-shaped, and contains a tiny seed that should be scarified before sowing. It is highly prized in woodworking because of its dense, self-lubricating, and durable hardwood. “Lignum vitae” means “wood of life,” and the plant’s resin was used to treat everything from a cough to arthritis. It is a slow-growing tree native to the Caribbean and the northern coast of South America.

Plant Uses:

• Container plant
• Ornamental
• Specimen
• Woodworking

Plant Dangers:

• No dangers

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized on O'ahu
  
• Repeated introductions outside native range
  
• Tolerates sand, clay, and loam
  
• Produces viable seed
  
• Intentionally dispersed by people (widely planted)
  
• Bird-dispersed (fleshy fruit)
  
• Seeds survive gut passage

Low Risk Traits:

• Rarely naturalized beyond native range (rare escape only)
  
• Not a weed (agricultural, forestry, or environmental)
  
• No spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• No evidence of toxicity (animals or humans)
  
• No shade tolerance (requires full sun)
  
• Does not form dense thickets (rare, slow-growing)
  
• Not wind- or water-dispersed
  
• Not a prolific seed producer (one seed per fruit)
  
• No persistent seed bank (recalcitrant seeds)