plants in the piedmont region of georgia plants in the piedmont region of georgia

40 to 50 feet tall with a spread of 24 to 35 feet. Although many of these plants will not grow and reproduce in cultivated landscapes like they do in their native habitat, they can adapt and become fine specimens. The lower leaf surface is densely pubescent and glandular. Fruit is a winged, corky drupe, closely resembling buckwheat. Seeds are valued by wildlife, particularly squirrels, chipmunks, deer and turkeys. Form is oval to round. This is one of the most rugged of all the Illicium species, according to Michael Dirr. 2003. Moist woods, stream banks and near springs. The noteworthy ornamental features of the plant such as flowers, fruit, bark, leaf color or shape, visual texture or pest resistance are described in this section. Avoid planting it in exposed locations because the large leaves are easily torn by wind. Pines, oaks, and hickories are some of the most prevalent plants in the region. Use Southern Red Oak as a shade or specimen tree. Habitat PDF for Printing Click Here 50 to 60 feet tall and with a spread of 30 to 40 feet. There are many cultivars in the trade. Southern Red Oak is a deciduous, fast-growing tree with a short trunk and a rounded crown. Fruit are yellow-green, approximately 1.5 inches in diameter, edible and very tart. In this region, which is located in the middle of Georgia state, there are forests and . No other native tree matches the brilliant yellow, orange and red coloration of Sugar Maple in autumn. The foliage and fruit are aromatic. Prune after flowering. The Coastal Plain Region of Georgia Google Arts & Culture Southeastern Virginia to Florida, west to Texas. Georgia Department of Education November 2019 This learning segment will expand on student's knowledge of Georgia habitats and geographic regions. What is the weather like in the Piedmont region of Georgia? Is the industrial heart of Georgia. Foliage consists of two and three needles arranged in fascicles (bundles). It provides lightly-filtered shade, so other plants will grow beneath it. Today, nurseries and garden centers offer a wide variety of native plants, and some even specialize in native plants exclusively. The white flowers have a sweet or musky-sweet fragrance, sometimes with a distinct lemon overtone. Use them as specimen plants or in flowering borders. It prefers partial shade. Wild Olive is useful in a naturalized landscape or as a foundation specimen. Wet, boggy areas and along wooded streams. GEORGIA PIEDMONT Georgia Native Plant Society GEORGIA REGIONS Ridge and Valley Blue Ridge Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain NATIVE Species naturally occurring . Growth and blue color are best in full sun. like workshops, classes, consultation, certifications, camps, and educator The leaf is compound, and flowers are trumpet-shaped, orange to red. It prefers moist, acid soils high in organic matter and full sun to light shade. Valley and Ridge Hummingbirds love its flowers. Flowers, borne in May and June, are green and indistinct. Rich soils on hill slopes or along ravines near streams. Massachusetts to Wisconsin, south to Florida and west to Mississippi. Use Two-Winged Silverbell as a specimen understory trees in wet to moist locations. Question 18. Fruit are one to 1.5 inches wide and star-like in appearance. The Five Regions Of Georgia - SlideShare Mints, goldenrods, asters and legumes can often be found growing naturally with many native grasses. Flowers are tubular, arranged in clusters, and are sometimes fragrant, depending on species. Aesculus pavia S hade-loving perennial with attractive foliage and eye-c Also know as firecracker or red buckeye. Therefore, the mature size of the plant projected in this publication is only an estimate of the size of the plant when it is 10 years old. Fall color is burgundy red. Use Florida Anise-Tree as a specimen shrub in shaded, moist areas. Only pine trees and brush can survive in this region. A handsome and uniform grower, it lends a tropical look to the landscape. 10 to 15 feet tall with a spread of 6 to 10 feet. This hands-off approach is more environmentally friendly. What is true of the plants that grow in this soil? A good hummingbird plant. Fall leaf color is deep red to maroon. It produces large acorns, one to 1.5 inches in diameter. Plant Bald Cypress as a specimen tree. Some trees grow as multi-stemmed shrubs. Many cultivars are available. Typically grows in wet soils near water in bottomlands, stream beds and bogs. It grows best in moist soils in full sun. Flower color ranges from clear yellow to yellowish-orange, orange, reddish-orange or red. White oaks are in subgenus Leucobalanus. It is best planted as a young tree. The fruit ripens in June and is enjoyed by birds. A small, deciduous oak associated with rocky soil, granite outcrops and dry slopes in the Piedmont. Its white flower petals are united at the base. It is not nearly as aggressive or invasive as the exotic wisterias, and it is a much better choice for the landscape. Green Ash and White Ash (Fraxinus americana) look identical except for their seeds. The guidelines when planting a native landscape are the same as those for any landscape: select plants adapted to the soil, local site conditions and climate. It is found along shady ravines and stream banks in southwestern Georgia. Crossvine is a semi-evergreen to evergreen vine, medium in texture, with a fast growth rate. Flowers are large, frequently exceeding 2 inches across, and typically have red pistils and filaments (a distinct characteristic of this species). Nelson, Gil. Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast. These plants have adapted to the climate and soil of the region over many years. Drought tolerance is good once the plant is established. 60 to 80 feet tall with a spread of 25 to 40 feet. The Georgia Piedmont 4. Cultivars are available. Dwarf Smilax is a thornless, broadleaf evergreen vine with medium texture and a slow growth rate. THE PIEDMONT. 20 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide. Many of the images are copyrighted and have been used with special permission from the photographers and/or the organizations providing them. It has few pests due to the pungent foliage. Moist soils, especially beaches, maritime forests and sandhills of the Coastal Plain. It prefers moist, acid, sandy soils and full sun to light shade. Turkey Oak is a distinctive, small, deciduous tree with crooked branches. 60 to 100 feet tall with a spread of 40 to 50 feet. Bark is gray to brownish, exfoliating with age into narrow plates that are detached at both ends. University of Georgia Press. Florida Azalea is early flowering and easy to grow, making it one of the most popular species. 60 to 80 feet tall, with a sparse branching habit. It has chestnut-like foliage with rounded teeth along the margins. For instance, trees can serve as functional components providing shade. Fruit are round, spiny balls on 2- to 3-inch pedicels. Painted Buckeye prefers rich, moist soil in partial shade. Wet woods, bogs, stream banks and springheads of the Coastal Plain and lower Piedmont. U. S. Nat. It prefers moist, well-drained soils and full sun. It is found mostly in the mountains and Piedmont and occasionally in the Coastal Plain of the Southeast. It is best known for its brilliant yellow to orange to red fall color. It is a low, spreading palm with stiff leaves and spiny leaf stems. They bloom best if provided morning sun and afternoon shade. Even the federal government published an "official" definition in the Federal Register, defining native plants as those that are "naturally occurring, either presently or historically, in any ecosystem of the United States.". Tulip Poplar is a fast-growing shade or specimen tree. It usually grows as a multi-stemmed shrub with a bold, erect, upright appearance. This group has leaves with bristles at the tips of the lobes and the leaf apexes. Georgia Basil is a good landscape plant for dry soils in full sun. Flowers occur from May to June, and range from pink to white. It climbs by twining and tendrils or grows along the ground. Georgia Habitats Piedmont - SlideShare Cullina, William. It is easy to transplant when young. Avoid wet sites. It is a ground cover plant rather than a climbing vine. 30 Fascinating Blue Ridge Mountains Facts University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Prefers neutral pH soils. It prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soil, and sun to light shade. Foliage turns golden-brown in fall. It does better with good cultural practices, including fertilization, watering and mulching. For example, some plants require a bare, mineral soil for seed germination. The leaves are deciduous and alternate, and consist of five leaflets. It prefers moist soils, but it may adapt to sun if irrigated. Plant it in full sun on well-drained soils. A good wildlife plant, especially for birds. Sycamore is a deciduous tree with coarse texture and a rapid growth rate. Use Downy Serviceberry as a flowering or specimen tree. The fruit capsules look like Japanese lanterns and are conspicuous all summer and into late fall. Piedmont Native Plants - Wild Ones Georgia Piedmont Chapter In Georgia, there are three geographic regions: Mountains, Piedmont and Coastal Plain. 70 to 80 feet tall and 40 to 50 feet wide. Yellow, fragrant flowers are borne in November and have four strap-shaped petals. #3. Use Honeycup as a specimen plant or in a mixed foundation planting near a downspout. Maryland to West Virginia, south to Florida and west to Missouri. Piedmont Region | Regions of Georgia | PBS LearningMedia To help Georgia gardeners successfully grow azaleas, they offer the following tips. 10 to 25 feet tall with a spread of 10 to 20 feet. Well-drained, sandy, acidic soils in the Coastal Plain up to the fall line. Often found as an understory tree. Our native landscape is the inspiration for this guide to native plants for Georgia gardens. Yellow Buckeye is a beautiful, fast-growing tree when properly grown. Fruit appear on female trees only. This small deciduous tree or shrub seldom grows over 20 feet tall and often has short, twisted stems. Acorns are an important food for wildlife. Its distribution seems to skip the northeastern section of Georgia (the Blue Ridge Province). The flowers look like creamy-white balls covered with fiber optic tubes. Regions of Georgia are also home to a variety of animals, including deer, raccoons, and snakes. The foliage is mostly trifoliate. White, honey-scented flowers appear in April before the foliage. Seeds consumed by finches and buntings. Any use of these images beyond this publication is discouraged and will require permission from the photographers. 80 to 100 feet tall with a spread of 20 to 30 feet. During fall migration, birds eat the seeds quickly. Fruit are hard nuts encased in a green husk. They give the tree a fleecy appearance. 50 to 60 feet tall and 30 to 40 feet wide. Southern New Jersey to Florida, west to eastern Texas and northward from the Mississippi valley to southeastern Missouri. Inner bark is pink. Mapleleaf Viburnum is an attractive, loosely branched, deciduous, low-growing shrub. 60 to 80 feet tall with a canopy spread of 40 to 50 feet. It can easily be pruned back to about half its size. Piedmont Azalea (Rhododendron canescens) - GNPS 583-593 Form is variable but usually is broad-rounded at maturity. Clusters of delicate, white bell-shaped flowers (0.25-inches long) bloom in May. Grows in acid soils in the Southeast, predominantly in the Piedmont and mountains. Fall color is pleasant yellow. They persist on the tree for up to four years. Considered a close relative of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), Southern Sugar Maple is more tolerant of the high summer temperatures and humidity of Georgia than northern Sugar Maples. In mountain valley environments, it can form impenetrable thickets. Water Oak transplants easily and is tolerant of a wide variety of soils and site conditions. Yellow Buckeye attains its largest size in rich Appalachian soils in coves and in cool slope forests. Vacciniums are one of the most common native shrubs. It is evergreen in south Georgia and deciduous in northern Georgia. Attractive to hummingbirds and songbirds. Georgia Basil is a low, loosely sprawling, freely branched, semi-evergreen shrub. They were developed from native southern Vaccinium species, mainly of the Coastal Plain. North Carolina to Florida, and west to Mississippi. 3 to 5 feet tall with a spread of 2 to 3 feet. It does not do well in dry, poor soils. 25 to 40 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. Hickories have a taproot that penetrates downward 2 to 3 feet the first season, while top growth is just a few inches. Georgia encompasses parts of five distinct physiographic provinces: the Appalachian Plateau, the Valley and Ridge, the Blue Ridge, the Piedmont, and the Coastal Plain. Two-Winged Silverbell is often confused with Carolina Silverbell (H. tetraptera). Surface roots are common as the plant ages. Fall color is golden yellow. White Ash is subject to several pests and diseases. American Beech produces deep shade that discourages other plants from growing under its canopy. New Brunswick to Ontario, south to Florida and west to Texas. clariclass - Unit 2: Georgia Regions Male and female flowers appear in April and May and are borne in umbels at the leaf axils. 15 to 20 feet tall with a canopy spread of 12 to 15 feet. Mature trees tend to be alternate bearing, with good flowering one year, then few to no flowers the next year. Variable, from dry, rocky ridges to wet, poorly-drained areas. It develops large, loose colonies when planted in the understory. Leaves are opposite, pinnately compound and 12 inches long with five to nine leaflets. Meadows (herbaceous pastures or prairies), 6. It is best planted as a young tree or from a container plant because it is difficult to transplant as a large tree. The tree is also affected by webworms. It may require pruning in youth to obtain its best shape. Growth habit is bushy, branched and 6 to 8 feet tall. Form varies from low-growing and stoloniferous to upright as high as 12 feet. Moist soils in hardwood forests; often found near streams. Foote, Leonard E., and Samuel B. Jones Jr. 1989. Poor, dry upland clay and sandy soils. Bogs, bays, wet savannahs and swamps in the Coastal Plain. It has a medium growth rate and texture. (135) $12.00. In fact, some native plants, having a limited growing range and very specific growing requirements, may decline or die when subtle alterations are made in their native habitat. Bark is gray and develops deep V-shaped ridges with age. It prefers moist soils but has moderate drought tolerance. 12 to 15 feet tall with a spread of 8 to 12 feet. Not for full sun or stressful environments. The word piedmont means foothill and describes an area of land sloping from the foot ("pied") of a mountain ("mont") to an adjoining lowland. Found in fertile woodlands along sandy streams and hillsides. Found on gentle slopes under oak, hickory and maple trees. It needs moist, well-drained soils and partial shade. PPT The 5 Regions of Georgia! - Atlanta Public Schools Use Hillside Blueberry as a hillside groundcover in dry, open, oak-pine woodlands. R. Philip Bouchard. Review the regions map that was worked on yesterday. Some bottomland species of trees grow well on upland sites once they have germinated. Blue berries are borne in fall. The leaves are a glossy, dark green. Bays, low hammocks, acidic, peaty soils in and around pocosins. It is a high-value wildlife tree. It loses its leaves early, often by late September. Flowering occurs after the early-blooming blueberries and before Sparkleberry. When restoring landscapes, it is best Hoptree is a deciduous shrub or small tree with medium-coarse texture and slow to medium growth rate. Many selections with superior fruiting characteristics have been made. Geology, Geography, and Importance of Georgia's Coastal Plains - Study.com We also express appreciation to the Georgia Native Plant Society for providing funds for technical support. The smooth, leathery capsule contains one to three shiny, dark-brown seeds. Virginia Pine is easily confused with Shortleaf Pine, but it can be distinguished by its twisted needles. Contact your local UGA Extension office to find out how our team of county agents can assist you. Fruit are enjoyed by cedar waxwings, cardinals and other birds. Young bark is dark gray and smooth, while mature bark has deep furrows and rough ridges. Its common name refers to the cross pattern seen when the stem is cut. It does well in the average home landscape, displaying good drought tolerance and adaptability to sandy or clay soils as well as wet and dry sites. It seems to transplant well. Apple Tree View Price of Tree Popular Varieties: Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Granny Why Grow Apple Trees in Georgia? In nature, it may be somewhat invasive. Use Sassafras as a specimen tree. The female flowers produce berries about 0.25-inches in diameter; they change from white to orange, then to black by late summer. Facts About The Piedmont Region Of Georgia: Animals, Geography - Kidadl Its long needles, large cones and sparse branching pattern make it the most distinctive pine of the Coastal Plain. 36, No. Although it is often thought of as a spiny nuisance, scrub palm, and a habitat for rodents and snakes, Saw Palmetto can be an attractive groundcover and an effective hedge or barrier plant in the landscape. The leaves are 3 to 6 inches long, shiny, and olive-green above and lighter green below. Open swamps, sandy lakeshores, upland woods and ravines. Wooded hillsides and along stream banks. Fetterbush is best used in mass plantings and naturalized settings. Catawba Rosebay flowers from May to June, and the rose, lilac-purple, pink or white flowers are borne in terminal clusters having eight to 20 individual flowers. Much more numerous and widespread than needle palm. 987, The University of Georgia 2022 | All rights reserved. It is easy to transplant and prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils. New Piedmont water plant operator: City's water is 'perfect' Rich, moist, deciduous bottomlands and mesic forests, shaded slopes and ravines, and over calcareous rocks. Florida or Southern Sugar Maple is a deciduous tree of medium texture and a slow to medium growth rate. Blue Ridge Mountains Geography. Deer shun Red Basils aromatic foliage. Individual flowers are 1 inch in diameter with five narrow petals. It is a fixture along coastal areas as well as inland sites south of the fall line in Georgia and throughout Florida. New Jersey to Florida; west to Missouri, Louisiana and east Texas. Foliage is dark green and glossy. Fruit are shiny, crimson-colored drupes in September. It prefers moist soils with good organic content and full sun to light shade. They are arranged in a drooping whorl at the base of the current season's growth. It is a tetraploid with larger flowers than other species. Vascular plants of Wyoming, 3rd ed.. Mountain West Publishers, Cheyenne. Most of Georgia's cities are in the Piedmont, and the area is highly industrialized, with industries as diverse as carpet milling, aircraft and automobile manufacturing . Cold Hardy: Apple Trees thrive in Georgia's cold spring and cooler fall months. Naturalized species, such as daylilies, persist after cultivation. The gray-brown bark is somewhat shaggy, looking like a cat scratching post. Growth is more dense in the sun, and loose and open in the shade. Young seedlings have a unique grass-like appearance, which may last two to seven years or more because the tree first uses its energy to put down a deep tap root. Use Sparkleberry as a flowering or specimen shrub in full sun to partial shade. Summersweet Clethra is an excellent plant for moist areas and almost any soil type. With age, it will sometimes form an upright trunk. Creamy-white flower clusters are borne in a flat head in May. 6 to 10 feet tall with a spread of 3 to 5 feet. Evergreen plants may be further described according to their leaf shape. Sugar Maple is a deciduous tree having a medium texture, medium to slow growth rate and an upright to oval form. There are cultivars available. Host plant information for Georgia butterflies - Georgia-Piedmont NABA The USDA plant hardiness zones in Georgia are shown in Figure 3. The yellow fall color is inconsistent, especially on seed-grown plants. Maryland and Virginia, south to Florida, west to Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas. Blue-green, pest-free foliage turns brilliant orange-scarlet in fall. It adapts to sun or dense shade and prefers moist, well-drained soils. More upright when young, mature specimens have a picturesque, broad-spreading form with irregular branches. Native plants provide "watchable" wildlife habitats. In nature, older trees are flat-topped with few lower branches, which is probably due to competition for light. It prefers dry sites. Acorns are an important wildlife food. Eastern Hophornbeam is a deciduous tree with medium texture and a slow growth rate. The underside of the leaf is lighter than the upper side. The fruit is a prickly cone 1.5 to 2.5 inches long. It prefers moist, fertile soils and full sun to light shade. Fragrant, urn-shaped, creamy-white flowers are borne on spikes in April and May. Plants that naturally occur under the shade of more dominant trees are called understory plants. Nice for mass plantings. Virginia Creeper is a good plant for quickly covering fences, walls and arbors. However, it would make a good ground cover plant along a shady foundation where there are no gutters. resources. Suckers arising from the roots form dense thickets. It climbs by twining around branches of other plants. 6 to 8 feet tall with a spread of 6 to 8 feet. It does best when planted in moist, acid, well-drained soils and full sun. Use Southern Wax Myrtle for screening or as a specimen tree or hedge. Dry, upland, rocky soils, particularly calcareous soils. Texture describes the visual appearance of the leaves and twigs of the plant, from finely textured to coarsely textured. It will adapt to hot, dry locations when irrigated. It is one of the most abundant pines in Georgia, second only to Loblolly. Avoid planting in drought-prone sites. 60 to 75 feet tall with a spread of 40 to 50 feet. The flowers and fruit are somewhat showy. Wet, swampy areas and along small black-water drainage areas of the Coastal Plain. Swamp Chestnut Oak is a deciduous tree with a compact, rounded crown and a medium growth rate. Bark is dark, brownish-gray and attractive. The plant is stoloniferous and spreads via suckers arising from the roots. It occurs in maritime forests and wet flatlands, where it sometimes is the primary canopy species. Many soils in Georgia are acidic (pH less than 7.0). Occurs in a variety of habitats from high Appalachian elevations to dry or moist woodlands; extends into coastal forests. For more information, visit the Language Translation page. It maintains a central leader in youth with an even distribution of branches. A wide variety of woodlands and forest edges, roadsides and fence rows. Deer shun its aromatic foliage. It has a compact crown and a slow growth rate. 4 to 8 feet tall with a spread of 4 to 6 feet. The abundant acorn production may be a problem in public areas. Leaves are palmate and three-lobed. Saw Palmetto is a common understory plant, often found growing thicket-like in southern Georgia and the Florida peninsula. Leaves are two to three feet across, blue-green, palmate in shape, with a large notch in the middle. They are lustrous dark green above and pubescent underneath. They make outstanding landscape shrubs that produce delicious fruit. ISBN 0-8203-1035-2. The piedmont region has mild winters and hot summers. Beware of its long, sharp spines along the inner trunk and foul-smelling fruit when deciding where to locate this palm in the landscape. Growth rate is defined as fast, medium or slow. River flood plains and moist slopes; often grows under hardwood trees where the water does not flood too deeply in winter. Remove any rocks, roots or other debris from the excavated soil and work it up thoroughly. Stems are thorny. It needs acidic, sandy loam, well-drained soils and full sun for best development. No other tree matches the brilliant color in the late October to November landscape. Kansas to Virginia, south to Florida, west to Texas. The Coastal Plain on the banks of low, water-filled depressions (pocosins); pine savannahs and around ponds. Coastal Azalea grows in a wide range of latitudes and soil conditions, and up to 200 miles inland in sandy coastal plains, damp ditches, sandy swamp margins and dry pasture sites. Large, funnel-shaped flower clusters are borne at the branch tips from April through August, depending on the species and habitat. It is also native to inland areas of the Florida peninsula as well as to the Bahamas. They are excellent wildlife resources. Spice-Bush is a deciduous shrub having medium texture and slow to medium growth rate. Bottlebrush Buckeye is a flowering shrub useful as a single specimen or in shrub borders. Some plants include kudzu, pine trees, and dogwood trees. In the natural landscape, it is a ridge tree. Godfrey, Robert K. 1988. 10 (Oct., 1909), pp. Fruit are small, brown capsules. Sweetgum is a deciduous tree with a medium texture and a medium to fast growth rate. Fetterbush is a tall, multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with arching branches and bright green leaves. It does not tolerate hot, dry sites. Bark is a cinnamon-red color and becomes furrowed with age. You have successfully removed your county preference. Rich woods and bottomlands of the Piedmont. Delicate white- to rose-colored, cup-shaped blooms with purple markings on the petals appear in April. The tree gets its name from the color of its heartwood, which is bright yellow. It is subject to a variety of insect and disease problems. Does not include plants recently introduced from other regions that have naturalized or become invasive Not all plants found growing wild are native. Use Ogeechee Lime as a specimen or small-scale street tree. Many small, white flowers are borne in May and June on upright, cylindrical inflorescences, 8 to 12 inches long. An understory tree, often occurring in wet areas, it appears to tolerate both excess moisture and moderate drought. Newfoundland to Manitoba, south to Illinois and Iowa and southeast to Georgia. Post Oak is not usually planted as a landscape tree, but it would be a good choice for dry reclamation sites. Each compound leaf is 6 to 9 inches long and pubescent underneath. Maine to Minnesota, south to Florida and Louisiana. It also occurs occasionally on well-drained lowland sites. Autumn leaf color is scarlet red. The half-inch white flowers bloom in clusters after the leaves emerge, with pink anthers on numerous stamens. They begin flowering in March, with some species flowering as late as August. Rusty Blackhaw is a deciduous shrub with leathery, pubescent foliage. It is dioecious (having male and female flowers borne on separate trees). The plants that are native to the Piedmont region include rhododendrons, oaks, hickories, and maples. Adults feed on rotting fruit, animal droppings, sap and, occasionally nectar of Brazilian verbena, Butterfly bush, Garlic chives, Boneset, Mist Flower, Pink turtlehead, Purple Coneflower, Lantana, and Milkweeds. Flowers are an important nectar source for honey bees. It has glossy, evergreen foliage in the Deep South and is deciduous farther north. It is bushy with blue-green, slightly revolute (rolled back on the margins) foliage. Weakley, Alan S. 2005. The form of the landscape and the climate of the area influenced the development of vegetation and animal life in each of these provinces. Devils Walkingstick is a deciduous, tall, erect, single-stemmed shrub. Widely adapted to a variety of sites, from rocky bluffs to waters edge. Shows potential for naturalizing on harsh, dry sites. It takes time for a tree canopy and subsequent plant community to evolve on a site. Parsley Hawthorn is a deciduous, flowering tree with medium-fine texture, thorny branches and a slow growth rate. Horse-Sugar, or Sweetleaf, is a small, semi-evergreen shrub with medium texture and medium growth rate. The foliage is aromatic when crushed and can be used as a substitute for bay leaves in cooking. It prefers fertile, acid, moist soils and partial shade, and it does not like hot, dry locations.