Trees and Flowers
1. Royal Palms
The stately palma real towers 82 ft (25 m) and has a silvery trunk that is slightly bulbous at the top. Its fronds are used for thatch, its seeds are used as pig feed, and the soft and succulent palm heart from the center of the trunk is a delicacy used in salads.
2. Sierra Palms
The “mountain palm” is indigenous to the region and lives above an elevation of 1,640 ft (500 m). Its exposed buttress roots, similar to those of mangroves, are an unusual feature that help the sierra palm cling to steep terrain and unstable soil.
3. Coconut Palms
The undisputed symbol of the Caribbean is the slender coconut palm, which thrives in moist, sandy soils and is found all along Puerto Rico’s shores. Native to Asia, it was introduced to the Americas in 1542. Virtually every part of the coconut palm is used by humans, including the large nut with its delicious meat and refreshing juice.
4. Poinsettias
Originally indigenous to Mexico, these perennial flowering shrubs, known as pascuas, are popular during Christmas because of their flame-red and green leaves, although they can also be white or pink.
5. Mangroves
Five species of mangroves (manglares) thrive along the island’s shores, forming tangled forests that trap sediment and prevent coastal erosion. Their stilt roots rise above the water, forming labyrinthine creeks that are vital nurseries for marine life.
6. Jacarandas
Remarkable for their springtime flowering, when purple-blue blossoms burst forth, with a peak in April, jacarandas are often used to brighten up Puerto Rico’s urban parks and highway medians. The trees’ prized timber is coveted by carpenters.
7. Orchids
Puerto Rico boasts hundreds of species of orchids, including many endemics. These plants are renowned for their exquisite flowers, and many wild orchid species are endangered by illegal collecting. The San Juan Orchid Society holds a Festival de Orquideas each March.
San Juan Orchid Society • 787 758 9981
8. Gumbo-Limbos
A hardy species with huge branches, gumbo-limbos are also known as “naked Indian trees”– their reddish-brown, paper-thin bark peels off in sheets like sunburnt skin. These trees readily sprout from branches stuck into the ground.
9. Ceibas
Sacred to the Taíno, silk-cotton trees grow to 230 ft (70 m) and have straight, branchless trunks studded with spines. Buttress roots help to stabilize these massive trees, the branches of which form wide canopies.
10. Epiphytes
These plants take root on the branches of other trees. Many species, such as Spanish moss, put down hanging roots, while some, like bromeliads, gather water in cisterns formed by tightly overlapping leaves.
