# Brasil (*condalia hookeri*)

The Brasil plant is known for its beautiful green leaves and small, bright berries. Kids will love exploring its unique features and learning about its role in the ecosystem!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Brasil plants typically grow in dry, rocky areas and can be found in various parts of South America.
- **Also known as:** Brazilian Plant, Condalia, Hooker's Condalia

![Brasil](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/355047255/medium.jpeg)

Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋）, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/355047255)

## Appearance

The Brasil is a thorny shrub or small tree with stiff, intertwining branches. It has tiny, leathery, oval leaves and produces clusters of small, inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers. Later, it bears small, shiny black, round berries.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Rosales
- **Family:** Rhamnaceae
- **Genus:** Condalia

## Interesting facts

- Even in harsh deserts, this plant provides crucial shade for small creatures!
- Indigenous peoples traditionally used its tough branches for tools.
- Its wood is incredibly dense, making it very hard to cut or break!
- The Brasil's flowers provide a vital early food source for bees!

## Special abilities

- **Spiny Shield:** Brasil has sharp thorns that help it defend against hungry animals trying to munch on its leaves.
- **Desert Survivor:** Brasil can thrive in dry, rocky soils because its deep roots can find water far underground.
- **Tough Skin:** Brasil has small, leathery leaves that help it reduce water loss in hot, sunny environments.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-300 cm
- **Spread:** 100-250 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring-early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Curve-billed Thrasher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/curve-billed-thrasher) (*Toxostoma curvirostre*) — Its small fruits are a key food source.
- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — Its flowers provide nectar and pollen.
- **Shelter:** Cactus Mouse (*Peromyscus eremicus*) — Dense thorns offer protection from predators.
- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse on its leaves and twigs.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Brasil?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Brasil?

100-300 cm

### How wide does Brasil spread?

100-250 cm

### How big are the flowers on Brasil?

0.2-0.5 cm

### When does Brasil bloom?

Spring-early summer

### Is Brasil edible?

No

### Is Brasil toxic?

None

### What is Brasil's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Phil Hardberger Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/phil-hardberger-park) — Texas, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Brasil: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brasil)