Description

Fiddlewood is a species of flowering plant in the family Verbenaceae that is native to southern Florida in the United States. It is a graceful deciduous or evergreen tree with fragrant blooms. It can grow up to 16 metres tall, with a bole more than 30cm in diameter, though it often assumes a more shrub-like habit and is much smaller. The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of a good quality wood. The wood is especially valued for making musical instruments, and the plant is often also grown as an ornamental.

Characteristics:

Native to tropical America, Fiddlewood is a beautiful shrub or a small tree with long tassels of richly scented white flowers. Flowers are pendant and cover the tree from spring to fall. Foliage is dark green, shiny, ornamental. Normally seen as a shrub, Fiddlewood can grow to about 40 feet tall in its native habitat. Fiddlewood makes a nice patio tree planted in the shade of pines or other tall trees. Young plants can be upright and rounded; older specimens develop a rounded vase form with lower branches removed. Fiddlewood is tolerant of sandy, dry soil and adapts to a wide range of soil pH including alkaline. Moderate salt tolerance allows planting near the beach. The tiny flowers are a favourite to the bees. The wood of this tree is said to be useful for making musical instruments - that could be the reason for its common name, fiddlewood.

Medicinal Uses:

A decoction of the young twigs is used in the treatment of children's thrush. A decoction of the bark is used as a treatment for colds. It also treats asthma. For rheumatism, remove the thick bark of the tree, dry it, and put it in a pint of wine.  Drink a small wine glass full every morning. This is to purify the blood.