Lecythidaceae FAMILY

Gustavia augusta

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree

Growth—

Grows best in the shade of other trees^[1]. A slow-growing tree, barely reaching a height of 1.5 metres after 2 years^[1]. Plants can flower all year round^[1].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in individual containers. A germination rate in excess of 80% can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 40 - 60 days^[1]. The seedlings should be ready to plant out 8 - 9 months later^[1]. The seeds have a viability in excess of 3 months in storage^[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Gustavia+augusta>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]Brazilian Trees. Volume 1. 4th Edition. — Lorenzi. H. · Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. · 2002 · ISBN 85-86714-17-8 ↩︎Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
[2]Medicinal Plants of the Guianas — DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. · Smithsonian Museum · http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html ↩︎A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region