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The sub-tropical climate of South Florida is made to order for many of the plants on our campus. This site provides a representative sample of fairly common native and introduced species of plants. Individual plants are marked by signs with the plant's common and scientific name. For ease of use, we have split our campus into 3 sections. Please "explore" our campus and perhaps learn a little about South Florida flora.
Location |
Common |
Scientific Name / Description |
---|---|---|
40 |
Live Oak |
Quercus virginiana- an evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States. Though many other species are loosely called live oak, the southern live oak is particularly iconic of the Old South. |
41 |
Gumbo Limbo |
Bursera simaruba- a tree species in the family Burseraceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas from South Florida to Mexico and the Caribbean to Brazil, Jinotega, and Venezuela. |
42 |
Verawood |
Bulnesia arborea- a species of flowering plant in the creosote subfamily of family Zygophyllaceae. It is native to Colombia and Venezuela. |
43 |
Fakahatchee Grass |
Tripsacum dactyloides- a warm-season, sod-forming bunch grass. It is widespread in the Western Hemisphere, native from the eastern United States to northern South America. Its natural habitat is in sunny moist areas, such as along watercourses and in wet prairies. |
44 |
Bald Cypress |
Taxodium distichum- a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a wide range of soil types, whether wet, dry, or swampy. It is noted for the russet-red fall color of its lacy needles. |
45 |
Pond Apple |
Annona glabra- a tropical fruit tree native to Florida. It grows in swamps, is tolerant of salt water, and cannot grow in dry soil. |
46 |
Dahoon Holly |
Ilex cassine- a large shrub or small tree growing to 10 - 13 m tall. As with other hollies, it is dioeciosu with separate male and female plants. Only the females have berries, and a male pollenizer must be within range for bees to pollinate them. |
47 |
Cuban Laurel |
Ficus retusa- a species of evergreen woody plant in the fig genus, widely misapplied to Ficus microarpa. |
48 |
Yellow Tabebuia |
Tabebuia aurea- a species of Tabebuia native to South America in Suriname, Brazil, eastern Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. The common English name Caribbean trumpet tree is misleading, as it is not native to the Caribbean. It is also known as the silver trumpet tree, and tree of gold. |
49 |
Wax Jasmine |
Jasminum volubile- a shrub or creeper from the olive family found in Australia. It may reach two meters in height as a shrub, but it can climb with stems to ten meters long. The plant's stems are mostly without hairs. |
50 |
Split-leaf Philodendron |
Philodendron bipinnatifidum- a plant that belongs to the family Araceae and subgenus Meconostigma, one of three subgenera within the genus Philodendron. |
51 |
Pigeon Plum |
Coccoloba diversifolia- commonly known as pigeonplum, doveplum, pigeon Seagrape or tietongue, is a species of the genus Coccoloba native to coastal areas of the Caribbean, Central America, southern Mexico, southern Florida and The Bahamas. |
52 |
Coconut Palm |
Cocos nucifera- a member of the palm tree family and the only living species of the genus Cocos. The term "coconut" can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which botanically is a drupe, not a nut. |
53 |
Buddha's Belly Bamboo |
Bambusa ventricosa- a species of bamboo which is native to Vietnam and to Guangdong province in southern China. The species is widely cultivated in subtropical regions around the world for the bulbous and ornamental culms. The species is used in bonsai. |
54 |
Royal Poinciana |
Delonix regia- a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of flowers. |
55 |
Slash Pine |
Pinus elliottii- a pine tree native to the southeastern United States. Slash pine is named after the "slashes" – swampy ground overgrown with trees and bushes – that constitute its habitat. |
56 |
Seagrape |
Coccoloba uvifera- a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae, that is native to coastal beaches throughout tropical America and the Caribbean, including southern Florida, the Bahamas, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, and Bermuda. |
57 |
Cabbage Palm |
Sabal palmetto- also known as cabbage-palm, palmetto, cabbage palmetto, blue palmetto, Carolina palmetto, common palmetto, swamp cabbage and sabal palm, is one of 15 species of palmetto palm. |
Location Number |
Common Name |
Scientific Name / Description |
---|---|---|
1 |
Orange Geiger Tree |
Cordia sebestena- a shrubby tree in the borage family, native to the American tropics. It ranges from southern Florida in the United States and the Bahamas, southwards throughout Central America and the Greater Antilles. |
2 |
Dwarf Firebush |
Hamelia patens 'Compata'- a large perennial shrub or small tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, that is native to the American subtropics and tropics. Its range extends from Florida in the southern United States to as far south as Argentina. |
3 |
Cocoplum |
Chrysobalanus icaco- found near sea beaches and inland throughout tropical Africa, tropical Americas and the Caribbean, and in southern Florida and the Bahamas. It is also found as an exotic species on other tropical islands, where it has become a problematic invasive. |
4 |
Tamarind |
Tamarind indica- a leguminous tree in the family Fabaceae indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus Tamarindus is a monotypic taxon. The tamarind tree produces pod-like fruit that contains an edible pulp used in cuisines around the world. Other uses of the pulp include traditional medicine and metal polish. |
5 |
Silversaw Palmetto |
Serenoa repens- a small palm, growing to a maximum height around 7–10 ft. It is endemic to the subtropical Southeastern United States, most commonly along the south Atlantic and Gulf Coastal plains and sand hills. |
6 |
Black Olive |
Bucida buceras- a tree in the Combretaceae family. It is known by a variety of names in English, including bullet tree, black olive tree, gregorywood, Antigua whitewood, and oxhorn bucida. It is native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. |
7 |
Hong Kong Orchid Tree |
Bauhinia blakeana- a legume tree of the genus Bauhinia, with large thick leaves and striking purplish red flowers. The fragrant, orchid-like flowers are usually 10 to 15 centimetres across, and bloom from early November to the end of March. |
8 |
Glossy Privet |
Ligustrum lucidum- a species of privet, a flowering plant in the olive family, Oleaceae, native to the southern half of China and naturalized in many places. |
9 |
Mahogany |
Swietenia mahagoni- a species of Swietenia native to southern Florida in the United States and islands in the Caribbean including the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti. |
10 |
Yellow Tabebuia |
Tabebuia aurea- a species of Tabebuia native to South America in Suriname, Brazil, eastern Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. The common English name Caribbean trumpet tree is misleading, as it is not native to the Caribbean. It is also known as the silver trumpet tree, and tree of gold. |
20 |
Mast |
Polyalthia longifolia- the False ashoka native to India, is a lofty evergreen tree, commonly planted due to its effectiveness in alleviating noise pollution. It exhibits symmetrical pyramidal growth with willowy weeping pendulous branches and long narrow lanceolate leaves with undulate margins. |
21 |
Slash Pine |
Pinus elliottii- a pine tree native to the southeastern United States. Slash pine is named after the "slashes" – swampy ground overgrown with trees and bushes – that constitute its habitat. |
22 |
Rainbow Gum |
Eucalyptus deglupta- a tall tree native to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines, and is the only Eucalyptus species with a natural range that extends into the northern hemisphere. |
23 |
Pink Tabebuia |
Tabebuia heterophylla- a species of Tabebuia native to the Caribbean islands of South America and to the Swan Islands of Honduras, and is also cultivated. It is also known as pink manjack, pink trumpet tree, white cedar, and whitewood. |
24 |
Yellow Tabebuia |
Tabebuia aurea- a species of Tabebuia native to South America in Suriname, Brazil, eastern Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. The common English name Caribbean trumpet tree is misleading, as it is not native to the Caribbean. It is also known as the silver trumpet tree, and tree of gold. |
25 |
Yew Podocarpus |
Podocarpus macrophyllus- a conifer in the genus Podocarpus, family Podocarpaceae. It is the northernmost species of the genus, native to southern Japan and southern and eastern China. |
26 |
Cabbage Palm |
Sabal palmetto- also known as cabbage-palm, palmetto, cabbage palmetto, blue palmetto, Carolina palmetto, common palmetto, swamp cabbage and sabal palm, is one of 15 species of palmetto palm. |
27 |
Red Maple |
Acer rubrum- one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest service recognizes it as the most abundant native tree in eastern North America. |
90 |
Red Jatropha |
Jatropha integerrima- a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, that is native to Cuba and Hispaniola. |
91 |
Christmas Palm |
Adonidia merrillii- a palm tree species native to the Philippines, Malaysia, and is reportedly naturalized in the West Indies. Its fruits become bright scarlet and tend to be that color in winter. |
92 |
Whitebird of Paradise |
Strelitzia nicolai- a species of banana-like plants with erect woody stems. It is among the few plants which have been verified to contain the pigment bilirubin, which is usually found in animals. |
93 |
ChineseFan Palm |
Livistona chinensis- a species of subtropical palm tree of east Asia. It is native to southern Japan, Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands, southeastern China and Hainan. |
94 |
Gumbo Limbo |
Bursera simaruba- a tree species in the family Burseraceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas from South Florida to Mexico and the Caribbean to Brazil, Jinotega, and Venezuela. |
Location |
Common |
Scientific Name / Description |
---|---|---|
11 |
Silk Floss Tree |
Ceiba speciosa- a species of deciduous tree native to the tropical and subtropical forests of South America. In Bolivia, it is called toborochi, meaning "tree of refuge" or "sheltering tree". |
12 |
Snakewood |
Cecropia peltata- a fast-growing tree in the genus Cecropia. It is listed as one of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species. |
13 |
Canary Island |
Phoenix canariensis- a species of flowering plant in the palm family Arecaceae, native to the Canary Islands. It is a relative of Phoenix dactylifera, the true date palm. It is the natural symbol of the Canary Islands, together with the canary Serinus canaria. |
14 |
Jacaranda |
Jacaranda mimosifolia- a sub-tropical tree native to south-central South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its attractive and long-lasting pale indigo flowers. |
15 |
Slash Pine |
Pinus elliottii- a pine tree native to the southeastern United States. Slash pine is named after the "slashes" – swampy ground overgrown with trees and bushes – that constitute its habitat. |
16 |
Powderpuff Tree |
Calliandra surinamensis- a low branching evergreen tropical shrub that is named after Suriname, a country in Northern South America. The plant usually has complexly branched multiple trunks. |
30 |
Fakahatchee Grass |
Tripsacum dactyloides- a warm-season, sod-forming bunch grass. It is widespread in the Western Hemisphere, native from the eastern United States to northern South America. Its natural habitat is in sunny moist areas, such as along watercourses and in wet prairies. |
31 |
Seagrape |
Coccoloba uvifera- a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae, that is native to coastal beaches throughout tropical America and the Caribbean, including southern Florida, the Bahamas, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, and Bermuda. |
32 |
Cabbage Palm |
Sabal palmetto- also known as cabbage-palm, palmetto, cabbage palmetto, blue palmetto, Carolina palmetto, common palmetto, swamp cabbage and sabal palm, is one of 15 species of palmetto palm. |
33 |
Laurel Oak |
Quercus laurifolia- native to the southeastern and south-central the United States, from coastal Virginia to central Florida and west to southeast Texas. |
34 |
Live Oak |
Quercus virginiana- an evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States. Though many other species are loosely called live oak, the southern live oak is particularly iconic of the Old South. |
35 |
Tamarind |
Tamarind indica- a leguminous tree in the family Fabaceae indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus Tamarindus is a monotypic taxon. The tamarind tree produces pod-like fruit that contains an edible pulp used in cuisines around the world. Other uses of the pulp include traditional medicine and metal polish. |
70 |
Royal Palm |
Roystonea regia- a species of palm that is native to Mexico, parts of Central America and the Caribbean, and southern Florida. A large and attractive palm, it has been planted throughout the tropics and subtropics as an ornamental tree. |
71 |
Dahoon Holly |
Ilex cassine- a large shrub or small tree growing to 10 - 13 m tall. As with other hollies, it is dioeciosu with separate male and female plants. Only the females have berries, and a male pollenizer must be within range for bees to pollinate them. |
72 |
Jacaranda |
Jacaranda mimosifolia- a sub-tropical tree native to south-central South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its attractive and long-lasting pale indigo flowers. |
73 |
Orange Jasmine |
Murraya paniculata- a tropical, evergreen plant native to South Asia, Southeast Asia and China. Bearing small, white, scented flowers, which is grown as an ornamental tree or hedge. Murraya is closely related to Citrus, and bears small orange to red fruit resembling kumquats, though some cultivars do not set fruit. |
74 |
Live Oak |
Quercus virginiana- an evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States. Though many other species are loosely called live oak, the southern live oak is particularly iconic of the Old South. |
75 |
Bottlebrush |
Callistemon- a genus of shrubs in the family Myrtaceae. The entire genus is endemic to Australia but widely cultivated in many other regions and naturalized in scattered locations. |
76 |
Mahogany |
Swietenia mahagoni- a species of Swietenia native to southern Florida in the United States and islands in the Caribbean including the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti. |
77 |
Bismark Palm |
Bismarckia nobilis- a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family endemic to western and northern Madagascar where they grow in open grassland. The genus is named for the first chancellor of the German Empire Otto von Bismarck and the epithet for its only species, Bismarckia nobilis, comes from Latin for 'noble'. |
78 |
Queen's Crape Myrtle |
Lagerstroemia speciosa- a species of Lagerstroemia native to tropical southern Asia. In Vietnam, the plant's young leaves are consumed as vegetables, and its old leaves and mature fruit are used in traditional medicine for reducing glucose in blood. In Theravada Buddhism, this plant is said to have been used as the tree for achieved enlightenment. |
79 |
Ylang - Ylang |
Cananga odorata- known as the cananga tree, is a tropical tree that is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It is valued for the perfume extracted from its flowers, called ylang-ylang EE-lang-EE-lang, which is an essential oil used in aromatherapy. |
80 |
Gumbo Limbo |
Bursera;simaruba- a tree species in the family Burseraceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas from South Florida to Mexico and the Caribbean to Brazil, Jinotega, and Venezuela. |
81 |
Royal Poinciana |
Delonix regia- a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of flowers. |
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