Miconia crenata
An extensively invasive tropical shrub that densely branches to form thickets displacing native vegetation, resprouts readily with a persistent seed bank and high seed production dispersed by birds, water, and human activity, and displays glossy veined leaves, small white flowers, and hairy bluish-black fruits, native to Tropical America and invasive outside its native range.
Common Names
Koster's Curse, 毛野牡丹
Summary
Native to tropical America, this perennial shrub grows to about 2 m tall and has glossy, deeply veined leaves that are oval to oblong with crenate margins and five major veins from base to tip; it bears small white flowers with five petals, and the sepals are fused at the base with long white hairs, while fruits are bluish-black, hairy, and egg-shaped.
Propagated from seed, it yields edible fruits and, outside native ranges, is invasive and can form dense thickets that smother plantations, pastures, and native vegetation.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1 ft 8 in - 16 ft 6 in
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Potting soil
Bloom Color
White
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Growth Rate
Moderate, 2x growth
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Vegetative spread possible
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Vahl) Michelang.
- Publication
- Mabberley's Pl.-Book , ed. 4: 1102 (2017)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Myrtales
- Family
- Melastomataceae
- Genus
- Miconia
Synonyms
Clidemia cognata Clidemia pauciflora Dancera hirta Melastoma crenatum Staphidium anceps Clidemia tiliifolia Clidemia hirta Melastoma hirtum Clidemia hirta var. tiliifolia Staphidium pauciflorum Clidemia hirta var. chrysantha Melastoma elegans Clidemia elegans Staphidium hostmannii Staphidium tiliifolium Clidemia benthamiana Staphidium benthamianum Staphidium pauciflorum var. stellulatum Clidemia crenata Maieta hirta Leandra fimbriata Melastoma pauciflorum Staphidium elegans Staphidium chrysanthum Staphidium pauciflorum var. calcaratum