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Tamala humilis (Nash) Small
Silk Bay
Scrub Bay
Synonym(s): Persea borbonia var. humilis (L.)Spreng. (Nash)L.E.Kopp
Florida native
Endemic to Florida
A frequent shrub to small tree of scrub habitats of the Florida peninsula from Alachua County to Lake Okeechobee, plus Collier County.
The trunk, branches and twigs of silk bay are characteristically blackish. Leaves are alternate, simple, entire, lanceolate, 3-10cm (1-3/16 to 4 in.) long and 1-3cm (4/10 to 1-3/16 in.) wide. The undersides have a silky-smooth rusty-colored dense pubescence. The fruit is a rounded drupe about 1.5cm (6/10 in.) in diameter.
Tamala humilis is a member of the Lauraceae - Laurel family.
Other species of the Tamala genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Tamala borbonia - RED BAY
Tamala palustris - SWAMP BAY
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Dec 12, 2025
