Pithecellobium keyense

Common Names

Florida Keys Blackbead, Blackbead, Keys Blackbead

Summary

Florida Keys blackbead is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Florida Keys and surrounding Caribbean regions, including the Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, and Mexico. It forms a spreading, multi‑trunk habit reaching about 12–15 ft tall. Leaves are evergreen, leathery, and pinnately compound with 2–4 leaflets. Flowers are pale pink to white, in powderpuff‑like heads, and are fragrant. Fruits are long coiled pods that turn brown to reveal shiny black seeds with a bright red aril.

Propagation is by seed. It prefers full sun and sandy or limestone soils, in zones 10A–11B with average to consistently moist conditions. It can be pruned into a tree or shaped as a shrub or hedge and benefits from regular watering with a drying period between waterings. In landscapes, it serves as an accent or specimen plant and buffer planting, and seeds are used as beads while attracting bees, butterflies, and birds.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

12-15 ft

Hardiness Zones

Zones 10a-11b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soil with a humus-rich top layer, pH 6.1–7.8.

Soil Drainage

Moist, well-drained.

Soil pH

6.1-6.5 (mildly acidic)

Bloom Color

Pink to White

Bloom Time

Year-round

Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Moderate growth rate

Seasons of Interest

All Year

Propagation Methods

Stem cuttings, Seeds (aril removed)

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, birds