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Buckthorn Bumelia

Sideroxylon lycioides

Found in maritime forests and thickets; swamps; moist forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

74
Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
About 9.8 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
June to August
Fruiting season
September to November

Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 42 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Swamps

Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp
Regional / representative. Shown: Southern coastal swamps, Florida to Virginia; state not identified, a neighboring state.Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Maritime forests and thickets

Salt-pruned forests and shrub thickets behind coastal dunes.

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 80 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

8CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Sideroxylon

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Enaemia pupulaBumelia Leafworm Moth, Streaked Lactura
  • Enaemia subfervensSpeckled Lactura
  • Euerythra phasmaRed-Tailed Specter Moth
  • Eustixia pupulaSpotted Peppergrass Moth
  • Litodonta hydromeliOrange-Banded Prominent
  • Urodus parvulaBumelia Webworm
  • Zomaria interruptolineanaBroken-Lined Zomaria
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
8BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Sideroxylon

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
2Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Sideroxylon

  • Colletes bumeliae
  • Colletes inuncantipedis
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
3BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Sideroxylon

  • Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
  • Patagioenas leucocephalaWhite-crowned Pigeon
  • Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Sapotaceae
Hardiness
Zones 8a–9b
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single crown
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
September
Fruit ends
November

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Buckthorn; Buckthorn Bully; Bumelia lycioides

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources