Dodonaea viscosa

In Hawaii, the colorful fruits of Florida hopbush are used to make leis for the hair.
Photo Credit: © Forest and Kim Starr, U.S. Geological Survey, Bugwood.org.
Dodonaea viscosa
Common Name: Florida hopbush
Other Common Names: hopbush, hopseed bush
Plant Functional Group: Evergreen broadleaf
Class > Order > Family: Magnoliopsida > Sapindales > Sapindaceae
What does the species look like?

Florida hopbush is an erect, often multi-stemmed, evergreen shrub to small tree, growing 6 to 25 feet tall. The tiny and inconspicuous, yellow-green flowers generally have only male or female parts, and mostly occur on separate plants; occasionally the flowers will have both male and female parts. The flowers are clustered at the ends of the branches, and are generally wind-pollinated.

Florida hopbush can be found on most types of soils in Hawaii and can occur from near sea level up into the subalpine zone, from wet forests to arid shrub and grasslands. In the southwest U.S., it is found in washes, canyonsides, and rocky slopes from the Upper Sonoran Desert to desert grassland and chaparral. In Florida, it is found in the hammocks (hardwood forest with broad-leaved evergreens) and pinelands.
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
AZ, CA, FL, HI, PR, VI
Special Considerations for Observing

This species has separate male and female flowers. If you know whether the flowers you are observing are male or female (or both), please make a comment about it for that observation.

Note that individuals of this species with only male flowers will not produce fruit.
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see...?
Leaves Young leaves
One or more young, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "young" and "unfolded" once its entire length has emerged from a breaking bud, stem node or growing stem tip, so that the leaf base is visible at its point of attachment to the leaf stalk (petiole) or stem, but before the leaf has reached full size or turned the darker green color or tougher texture of mature leaves on the plant. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.

How many young leaves are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Flowers Flowers or flower buds
One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower buds are visible on the plant. Include flower buds or inflorescences that are swelling or expanding, but do not include those that are tightly closed and not actively growing (dormant). Also do not include wilted or dried flowers.
More...

How many flowers and flower buds are present? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), simply estimate the number of flower heads, spikes or catkins and not the number of individual flowers.

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Open flowers
One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. Flowers are considered "open" when the reproductive parts (male stamens or female pistils) are visible between or within unfolded or open flower parts (petals, floral tubes or sepals). Do not include wilted or dried flowers.
More...

What percentage of all fresh flowers (buds plus unopened plus open) on the plant are open? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), estimate the percentage of all individual flowers that are open.

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Fruits Fruits
One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Dodonaea viscosa, the fruit is a three- or four-winged capsule that changes from yellow-green or green to reddish-green or pink-red to tan and becomes papery as it dries out.
More...

How many fruits are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
Ripe fruits
One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Dodonaea viscosa, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned tan and papery.
More...

What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe?

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Recent fruit or seed drop
One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant.
More...

How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • 1,001 to 10,000
  • More than 10,000
What do these phenophases look like?

There is currently no photoguide available for this species. If you'd like help us create one, use the guidance document and species template provided here. Then send it via email to education@usanpn.org when it is complete.

USDA PLANTS profile for Florida hopbush (USDA Symbol: DOVI )