Myrcianthes fragrans
(Simpson's Stopper)
Common Names, Latin Name and Family
Common names include twinberry, twinberry stopper, and nakedwood.
Its Latin name is Myrcianthes fragrans. It was previously called Eugenia simpsonii.
It is in the Myrtaceae (myrtle) family of plants along with other plants such as guava, allspice, white stopper, Spanish stopper, red stopper, white stopper, redberry stopper and Surinam cherry.
Other native stoppers in Florida are
white stopper (Eugenia axillaris)
redberry stopper (Eugenia confusa)
Spanish stopper (Eugenia foetida)
red stopper (Eugenia rhombea)
Form
Simpson’s stopper is a native evergreen shrub that grows to 20 to 30 feet in height and about 15 in width.
It has smooth, peeling, bark similar to a guava tree.
It can be pruned to many different shapes and can work pruned as a small tree, however, it does send out runners and produces plants around the main trunk. It is often used in parking lot landscaping as low maintenance hedges.
Leaves
Simpson’s stopper leaves are opposite with simple margins.
They are obovate to elliptic in shape and thick and leathery.
They are covered with little dots that are tiny oil glands and when crushed the leaves are fragrant with a scent similar to patchouli.
They are 3/4 to 2 1/2 inches in length and 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches wide.
Flowers
The white flowers are about 3/4 inch in diameter and are formed on long stalks.
The flowers appear fluffy because of the clusters of stamens that protrude from the base of the flower.
The flowers are very fragrant and appear year round, but do not generally appear while it has growing, and ripening, fruit.
Fruit
The fruit start out small and green and as they grow larger they become yellow and when they are fully ripe they turn a brilliant orange – red.
The fruit can be anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 an in inch in diameter.
Birds and mammals eat the fruit and it is also edible for humans however it is suggested to not ingest the seeds.
Habitat
Simpson’s stopper occurs naturally in coastal hammocks and rarely occurs inland.
Native Range
In Florida it is found from St. John’s County south into the Keys. It is listed as threatened in Florida most likely due to loss of habitat and invasive species displacing it in its natural ecosystems.
It also grows in the West Indies, and Central and South America.
Landscape Use
It can be grown in a wide variety of conditions from sandy to rich soil, and in full sun to partial shade.
It takes about ten years for the plant to reach its mature height of 30 feet.
It is maintenance free once established. It is also considered very wind resistant and hardy to 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is an excellent candidate for a privacy hedge as well as a great addition to a wildlife habitat. It is also salt tolerant so it is a good candidate for coastal gardens.
If using it as a privacy hedge you should purchase the largest specimens that you can because it is slow growing and will only increase in size by about six inches a year. Hedge plantings should have individual plants spaced from 3 to 5 feet apart.
It will survive in part shade but gets lanky with too little sunshine and will not produce as many flowers.
Wildlife Use
As a wildlife plant Simpson’s stopper is an excellent choice for your green space because it has evergreen foliage that provides a relatively safe environment for nesting, hiding, and foraging wildlife.
It produces copious amounts of beautiful fragrant, nectar rich, flowers that attract a wide array of pollinators. The flowers attract butterflies, honeybees, and bumblebees.
Once the flowers are pollinated the plant produces large numbers of berries for the wildlife to eat. Songbirds and small mammals enjoy eating the fruit. Unfortunately raccoons and opossums relish the fruit and can cause breakage of the branches as they try to get to the ripe fruit.
Human Use
The fruit’s flavor reminds me of a mango/kumquat. They are very tasty, but I prefer to leave them for the animals. Some people use them to make jam. If you choose to try them please be cautious and try a bite and see how you react. Some people may be allergic so consume with caution.
There are some references that say Native Americans used the fruit to stop diarrhea.
Propagation
It can be grown from seed but they must be extremely fresh. The seeds do not store well and become less viable the longer they are stored. So buying specimens or getting root cuttings, or suckers, is the easiest method of propagation.
Simpson’s stopper sends out root suckers from the main plant and these can be cut from the plant and moved to new locations.
It is best to grow them in pots until you see if they will recover before placing them directly into the ground.
When growing from root cuttings be sure to remove any fruit or flowers so that the cutting can recover more quickly. If you leave fruit, and flowers, the cuttings will struggle to keep those alive rather than focus on growing new roots so your cutting may not survive.