Buffalo Nut Pyrularia pubera
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- py-roo-LAR-ee-ah pyoo-BER-ah
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Buffalo Nut is a perennial shrub or small tree in the sandalwood family and native to the eastern United States. The plant is typically found in rich woods of the Appalachian Mountains, where it is parasitic on the roots of deciduous trees and shrubs. At maturity, it can reach a height of 10 to 15 feet. It is in flower from May to June. The flowers are initially green, turning to white.
Buffalo Nut tolerates most soil types (sandy, loamy, and clay) as long as it is moist and well-drained. It does not do well in alkaline soils. It prefers a site in semi-shade (light woodland).
Buffalo Nut is hemiparasite, that is, a plant that is photosynthetic, but also feeds off the roots of other trees and shrubs around it, most commonly Tsuga carolina (the Carolina Hemlock). To grow, it requires close proximity to a host tree.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No known diseases or insect pests. The fruit is permeated with an acrid oil.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Pyrularia
- Species:
- pubera
- Family:
- Santalaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Maine, south to Georgia, west to Alabama and Tennessee.
- Edibility:
- Poisonous, with an acrid taste.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Ascending
- Multi-stemmed
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Red/Burgundy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The pear-shaped fruit is about an inch long, greenish-yellow, maturing to red. Each drupe contains a single, oily nut/seed.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Inconspicuous spikes of green flowers appear in spring and turn to white by early summer. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant and requires both male and female plants to produce seed). The plant is not self-fertile.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Obovate
- Ovate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are thin, ovate-oblong to obovate, 1 to 6 inches long, acute to rounded at base.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Walkways
- Landscape Theme:
- Shade Garden
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Compaction
- Humidity
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- The fruit, as well as other parts of the plant, contain an acrid, poisonous, oil that causes severe irritation of the mouth.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Unidentified, possibly calcium oxalate crystals.
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Seeds
