Coralberry
Ardisia crenata
Its seeds have an astonishing germination rate of nearly 98%, allowing a single plant to quickly blanket the forest floor with dense monocultures.
- Scientific name
- Ardisia crenata
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Ericales › Primulaceae › Ardisia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Shaded forest understory, ravines, and moist, hardwood hammocks.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis, extracting water and nutrients from soil).
- Range
- East Asia, Southeast United States, Eastern Australia, Pacific Islands
- Size
- 0.5 to 1.5 meters tall
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- No major natural threats; its primary threat is eradication efforts in regions where it is a highly invasive weed.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch, but defensive via toxicity. Do not ingest the bright red berries, as they contain chemical compounds toxic to humans, livestock, and pets. If accidental ingestion occurs, seek medical attention or contact poison control. In areas where it is invasive, feel free to pull it up by the roots to help native flora.
Ardisia crenata is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family, Primulaceae, that is native to East Asia. It is known by a variety of names such as Christmas berry , Australian holly , coral ardisia , coral bush , coralberry , coralberry tree , hen's-eyes , and spiceberry . A. crenata is a compact shrub that reaches 1 metre (3.3 ft), often with a single stem. Leaves are dark green, thick, glossy, and have tightly waved edges The flowers are small, white or...
Photo: Tatters ✾, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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