Flower profile
Gopher apple
Geobalanus oblongifolius
Gopher apple is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Florida it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Florida
Quick look
Geobalanus oblongifolius, commonly known as gopher apple, is an evergreen shrub. It grows in the sandhills of peninsular Florida as well as coastal Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina and Georgia.
- It belongs to the Chrysobalanaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Florida. NatureServe
- In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 3,991 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #62 among the 110 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
Gopher apple gift ideas
Handmade gopher apple gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Gopher apple art print
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Gopher apple greeting card
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Gopher apple mug
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Gopher apple earrings
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Gopher apple embroidery pattern
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Gopher apple sticker
When does it bloom?
In Florida, most flowering sightings come in April–June.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Florida
- Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S5, secure in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: LA (SH), SC (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records gopher apple in 6 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina.
Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.
More Florida flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LIMI5.
- iNaturalist, Geobalanus oblongifolius: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Geobalanus oblongifolius (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
- Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Geobalanus oblongifolius (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Jay Horn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.