"Buck Island Reef National Monument, Virgin Islands" by National Park Service , public domain
Virgin IslandsTrees |
Trees at Virgin Islands National Park (NP). Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
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covered parks
Seashore Trees
Mangrove
Rhizophora
mangle
Black, white and red
mangroves are common
species along our tropical shores. The
red
shown here, extends
shorelines or creates islands with it's arching
stilt roots.
Fruit Trees
Sugar Apple
Annona squamosa
A small deciduous tree
attaining 10-20 ft. in
height with irregular
spreading branches. Well
known for its sweet edible fruit, resembling hand
grenades in appearance.
This familiar shoreline
tree is easy to identify by
its large round leathery
leaves. It bears clusters
of green, ripening to
purple, fruits that are
edible.
Maho*
Virgin Islands National Park
Common Trees of
Virgin Islands National Park
Ginger Thomas*
Seagrape
Cocoloba uvifera
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Mango*
Tecoma stans
Mangifera indica
An excellent hardy
shade tree with lance
shaped leaves and bearing one of the finest
tropical fruits. One of
many introduced species. Its sap may cause
dermatitis.
Thespesia populnea
This coastal tree, for
which Maho Bay was
named, is characterized
by large bell-shaped
flowers that turn from
pale yellow to purple. It
has heart shaped leaves
and green seed pods that
turn brown.
Manchineel
Hippomane mancine/la
This is a very poisonous
tree with shiny , small
oval leaves. It can grow
to 40 ft. in height, and
bears small crabapplesized fruits that are
highly toxic. The tree's
white sap is also very
harmful.
Genip*
Melicoccus bijugatus
This large deciduous
tree has gray blotchy
bark and dark green
leaves . The clustered
edible fruits are quarter
sized with green leathery skin, a single large
seed and tart pulpy
fruit.
Some common trees within the Park are nonnative or naturalized (exotic*), and may be displacing native (indigenous) flora and fauna .
Virgin Islands National Park is implementing a
management program to control the invasive
exotics, in order to protect the native trees.
Ginger Thomas (also yellow cedar or
yellow elder) is a nonnative tree or
shrub, that produces the official
flower of the US Virgin Islands. It is
found along roadsides with bright
yellow, trumpet shaped flowers, and
long, narrow seed pods. Ginger
Thomas usually blooms during
extended rainy periods.
Flamboyant *
This is a guide to the most commonly found
trees in Virgin Islands National Park The
majority of these trees can be seen at popular
sitesinthepark suchasTrunkBay, Annaberg,
or alonghiking trails. The Park is home to
over 400 tree species. Many of these have
several names due to the complex cultural
heritage of the island.
Pimenta racemosa
Also: Royal Poinciana
A large tree with 2 foot long
"feathery" leaves and a brilliant
spreading crown ofbloodorange flowers, blooming twice
a year. Its long woody "shak
shak" seed pods used in calypso
and local scratchband music.
A smooth barked tree with
dark green, shiny fragrant
leaves. The leaves are used
medicinally and the oil from
the leaves for aftershave.
Easily seen around the Cinnamon Bay ruins, it is still locally used for cooking, however it should not be confused with the more widely
used laurel bay leaf.
Teyer Palm
Coccothrinax a/ta
The only remaining native
palm. Used in traditional
basketry, fish traps,
' brooms and roof thatching.
These trees prefer moist
habitats and grow with tall
slender trunks.
iilili~l'll~~
Bay Rum
Delonix regia
Gumbo Limbo
Frangipani
Bursera Simaruba
Plumeria alba
Also: Turpentine or Tourist
Tree. Identify this dry forest tree by its peeling red
bark (or skin!). The leaves
and sap smell like turpentine and have many medicinal properties.
This attractive native tree
with milky sap, is easily distinguished by its Jong narrow
lance-shaped leaves and clusters of fragrant waxy, white
flowers. It grows in dry areas,
and is often deleafed by a
moth caterpillar.
Calabash
Crescentia cujete
A distinctive tree with
leaves growing directly off
the main branches. The
fruit can grow to basketball
size, and when dried , used
as gourds, rattles or ornamental bowls.
Lignum Vitae
Tamarind*
Guaiacum officinale
Tamarindus indica
A slow growing evergreen
with small orange seedpods
It blooms twice a year with
pale blue flowers . It has an
extremely dense wood that
will sink in water and was
used for ball bearings.
Large trees with feathery
' leaves are often found in roadways and trails. They bear
pulpy bean shaped seed pods.
The fruit is used to make
can-dies, juices or eaten raw.
It is a tasty ingredient in
Worcester-shire sauce.
Noni I starvation
fruit
Marinda citrifolia
Also: Painkiller plant
It can be seen at the entrance to Trunk Bay. Iden. tifiable by large, oval leaves
~ and irregularly shaped,
whitish fruit, palatable to
animals and birds only, also
._'2~·~•used in modern, alternative
medicine .
Kapok*
Ceiba pentandra
Also: Silk Cotton Tree. Can
be found on the Reef bay
trail with huge buttressing
roots. Its seed pods release
fluffy silky material used
for stuffing mattress cushions and life jackets. Indigenous people carved canoes and drums from the
trunk.
Monkey No Climb*
Hura crepitans
Easily identifiable by its bark,
which is covered with dense
sharp thorns. Miniature pumpkin shaped seed pods were
once used as receptacles for
sand used to blot ink on a
writing quill, hence the nickname Sandbox tree.