Eugenia foetida is a member of the family Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, and is colloquially referred to as "Spanish stopper" or "boxleaf stopper."
It is found year-round in the understory of mangrove forests, coastal hammocks and dunes in coastal, central to southern Florida, and east in the Bahamas
Eugenia foetida is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing 4.5 - 12 metres tall. The bole can be up to 12cm in diameter.
The edible fruit is gathered from the wild for local use. The plant is sometimes planted as a hedge or a street tree.
It is a common small tree with opposite leaves that are dark green on the adaxial (upper or dorsal) leaf surface and lighter on the abaxial (lower or ventral) surface and oblanceolate with a rounded or obtuse apex. The specific epithet foetida, Latin for "fetid" refers to the unpleasant scent of the flowers.
Description:Height: 12 to 20 feet,Spread: 8 to 15 feet,Plant habit: vase shape; oval,Plant density: moderate,Growth rate: moderate,Texture: medium,Foliage:Leaf arrangement: opposite/subopposite.Leaf type: simple.Leaf margin: entire,Leaf shape: elliptic (oval),Leaf venation: none, or difficult to see.Leaf type and persistence: evergreen,Leaf blade length: 1 to 2 inches,Leaf color: green to dark green on top, yellow green underneath,Fall color: no fall color change,Fall characteristic: not showy.,Flower:
Flower color: white,Flower characteristic: slightly fragrant; emerges in axillary racemes,Flowering: summer,
Fruit:Fruit shape: round,Fruit length: 1/3 inch,Fruit cover: fleshy berry,Fruit color: reddish orange, turning brown or black when ripe.Fruit characteristic: suited for human consumption; attracts birdsFruiting: late summer to winter.
