PlantFiles: Clusia
Clusia fluminensis

I have already worked whith Clusia fluminensis in Brasil and i loved.but now i would like to know if it possible to have it in Portugal.can someone tell me about it?

This is a shrub native to the coastal areas of Rio de Janeiro, and largely used as hedges everywhere, since it grows slowly and tolerates well pruning.

It´s often sold when it´s 50cm tall, but can grow up to 4m if let alone. It has thick, shiny, obovate leaves that has a white sap when you break it. The flowers comes in late winter and goes through the year until late summer. They are white, with 5 or more petals. The reproductive structures are unique. Since the plant it monoecious (male and females only plants), you may find the staminated flowers with a globous structure that expels a bunch of white masses like toothpaste. The female flowers will have a globous structure bearing the stigmas and a mass of glands around it with a sticky resin. Frequently you will see bees collecting this resin. The regularly pruned plants usualy don´t produce flowers.

The fully grown up plants will frequently banyam, giving it a pitoresque aspect.

It comes from places with sandy and salty soils, but this species adapts greatly to organic soils. Must water it regularly and keep it under full sun.