Common Plants, Flowers, and Trees of the Bahamas

The Bahamas' 700+ islands and cays host a rich tropical flora shaped by limestone geology, salt spray, and seasonal rainfall.

Coastal & Strand Vegetation

• Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera) – Iconic beach tree; food, drink, craft.
• Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera) – Salt-tolerant shrub/tree; edible purple fruit; windbreak.
• Casuarina / Australian Pine (Casuarina equisetifolia) – Invasive but widespread; needle-like foliage; windbreak.
• Bay Cedar (Suriana maritima) – Low shrub; yellow flowers; dune stabilizer.

Native Trees & Shrubs

• Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) – Prized timber; national tree of Dominican Republic; native to Bahamas.
• Wild Tamarind (Lysiloma latisiliquum) – Pink puff flowers; common in coppice.
• Gumbo Limbo (Bursera simaruba) – "Tourist tree" (red peeling bark); hurricane-resistant.
• Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum sanctum) – Dense wood; blue flowers; endangered.
• Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) – Sweet fruit; chicle source.

Showy Flowers & Ornamentals

• Yellow Elder (Tecoma stans) – National flower; yellow trumpets; poisonous fruit.
• Bougainvillea – Magenta/pink/orange bracts; ubiquitous in gardens.
• Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) – Exotic crane-like blooms; South African origin.
• Hibiscus – Many colors; hedges, landscaping.
• Frangipani / Plumeria – Fragrant, lei flowers.

Pine & Broadleaf Forests (Inland/High Islands)

• Caribbean Pine (Pinus caribaea) – Abaco, Andros, Grand Bahama, New Providence.
• Poinciana (Delonix regia) – Flamboyant red flowers; Madagascar native.

Conservation focus: protect endemic species (e.g., Encyclia orchids, Bahama Senna) from invasives (Casuarina, Brazilian pepper) and habitat loss.