In Jo's Yard - 68 Simpson Stopper

I have three Simpson Stoppers (Myrcianthes fragrans) in my yard. This past winter, two of them gave me some cause for concern, but now all three are doing well, and it’s wonderful to have them.  These are evergreen trees or shrubs, depending on how you prune them.  In the Spring they get tiny little flowers and in the Fall they get bright red berries. They are known for their hurricane wind resistance. 

In my yard, two are planted on the South side of the house, which is on the downside of a slight incline.  I noticed that the leaves were not looking good – some seemed to have a fungus that could be scraped off with a fingernail, but some leaves were spotted.  Both problems were on both  trees.  I got some Neem Oil and sprayed the two trees.  In January, Jared Evans of Evans Native Landscaping (Evans Native Landscapes e-mail) trimmed some of the small dead branches.  By April, both trees were much improved. The leaves are green and there will be berries soon.  The branches on these two trees are more thinned out, but I am hopeful they are coming back.  The birds perch in these trees for a rest, or to survey their surroundings.   

                           The Simpson Stopper on the north side of my home

  One of the Simpson Stoppers on the south side of my home, recovering from a winter fungus

                            Evergreen leaves and interesting bark of the Simpson Stopper

                                                            Simpson Stopper blooms

                    Fall 2019, red berries on my Simpson Stopper, behind the magenta Beautyberries

RESOURCES:

https://www.fnps.org/plants/plant/myrcianthes-fragrans

https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/shrubs/simpsons-stopper.html#:~:text=Trees%20and%20Shrubs-,Simpson%27s%20Stopper,and%20how%20you%20prune%20it.

https://flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-myrcianthes-fragrans/

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp418