-Plants (Kingdom Plantae)

-Vascular Plants (Phylum Tracheophyta)

-Flowering Plants (Subphylum Angiospermae)

-Dicots (Class Magnoliopsida)

-Myrtles, Evening Primroses, and Allies (Order Myrtales)

-Bushwillow Family (Family Combretaceae)

-Genus Conocarpus

-Green Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus)

The Green Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) is a hardy, evergreen species native to the coastal regions of Florida, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Often considered a "mangrove associate," it typically grows as a low-branching, multi-trunked shrub or a medium-sized tree that can reach heights of 30 to 50 feet. It is characterized by thick, leathery, dark green leaves that are simple and oblong, featuring specialized salt glands at the base to help the plant thrive in brackish environments. The tree produces inconspicuous greenish flowers in dense, round heads that bloom throughout the year, eventually developing into purple-brown, cone-like fruits that resemble small wooden buttons.