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