top of page
Transparent (Apple) Apple Pond Garden Reserve_edited.png

Pigeon Plum

Scientific Name
Coccoloba diversifolia
Family 
Polygonaceae
Status
Native
​

Botanical Description

Coccoloba diversifolia, evergreen shrub or small tree with thick, leathery oval leaves; small flowers; clusters of dark purple fruits. Pigeon plum is a medium-sized evergreen tree or large shrub, typically growing 10-30 ft (3-9 m) tall, sometimes taller in protected sites. 

Growth Forms
  • It forms a dense, rounded to irregular crown with a sturdy trunk and gray to brown bark that becomes lightly fissured with age. 
Leaves 
  • Simple, alternate, thick and leathery 
  • Oval to elliptic 
  • 2-6 inches long 
  • Glossy dark green above, paler beneath 
  • Prominent midrib with fine lateral veins 
  • Slightly wavy margins 
Flowers 
  • Small, greenish-white to cream 
  • Arranged on upright or slightly drooping spikes (racemes) 
  • Not showy individually but produced in clusters 
Fruit 
  • Round, fleshy drupe
  • About 1 inch wide 
  • Ripens from green to deep purple/black 
  • Thin sweet pulp surrounding a single hard seed 
  • The clustered fruits resemble miniature plums, giving the tree its common name.

Habitat

Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formations Coppice- Forest/Woodlands, Shrublands/Dwarf Shrublands. It also occurs in Pine Woodlands.

Distribution 

It occurs on all island groups within the Lucayan Archipelago, the entire Caribbean region, Central and South America, and southern Florida.

Ecological Importance

  • Provides nectar for pollinators 

  • Fruits are eaten by birds (including pigeons and doves), aiding seed dispersal 

  • Offers shelter and nesting habitat 

  • Helps stabilize thin limestone soils 

  • Contributes to dry forest canopy structure

Cultural Notes

  • The fruit is edible and lightly sweet when ripe 

  • Traditionally eaten fresh from the tree 

  • Is used in the Lucyan Archipelago to treat gastronintestinal problems such as diarrhea and as a soothing and aphrodisiac teas.

bottom of page