By now, you’ve noticed the lush tropical foliage, vibrant flowers and spectacular palms
that seem to be everywhere in this county.

The big question is, “do you know what they are”.
In reality do you know the names of these pretty plants?


Instead of trying to tackle a whole bunch of plants that are seen here on a daily basis I thought I would stick the flowering variety. In other words, I want to highlight a select few of the attractive plants you might find in some of the nice resorts and homes around here and give a quick little fun fact on each.

Plumeria or Frangipani
These flowers appear on trees that look like barren skeletons but are very much alive. With over 300 varieties the flower colors range in multiple colors as well as a mixed color palette. One of the most exciting things about the Plumeria flower (other than the vibrant colors) is its smell. You can find varieties that smell from sweet perfume to grapes to jasmine. A fun fact for this flower is that this is the flower traditionally used in making “leis”.

Bougainvillea
A woody vine that flowers with tiny clusters of brilliant pink, purple, yellow and red blossoms. The Bougainvillea can grow quite large and sometime appear to be a tree instead of a vine. The flowers are thin skinned and sometimes referred to as “paper flower” due to this fact. One thing about this plant that surprises many people is that hidden beneath those appealing flowers lies waxy thorns waiting to prick you if aren’t aware.

Royal Poinciana
Now this flower is actually growing on a tree. The flower itself can be either a deep red, bright orange or vivid yellow and grow in a cluster among the thick green leaves. It is hard to miss a Royal Poinciana as the tree itself can be quite large and will create a cool shady spot. The leaves themselves are compound leaves that look feathery and have secondary leaflets among the main tree. An interesting fact is that the tree is sometimes known as a “Flame Tree” due to the rich flower color.

Angel Trumpet or Brugmansia
Another flower that’s hard not to miss is the Angel Trumpet, so called due the fact that the flowers look like trumpets hanging from the tree. You will notice that the flowers themselves actually hang facing the ground as opposed to pointing up towards the sunlight. The colors of these flowers can range from solid white to pale pink to soft red to light yellow. These are not vibrant flashy flowers, but their scent makes them special. In the evenings the flower produces a delicate sweet aroma that can smell for yards. An interesting but dangerous fact about these flowers is that they are highly toxic and should never be ingested by human or animal.

Orchid Tree or Camel’s Foot
This flower is somewhat unusual in that it truly does resemble on orchid flower but growing on a tree. The flower appears at the end of the skinny limbs in either white or shades of pink. You normally won’t find this flower in a cluster of more than 2 or 3 flowers on each limb, but each small cluster of flowers will send out an appealing light perfumed scent. An interesting note about this flower is that is used to attract hummingbirds to the gardens.

Now there are so many varieties and species of flowering plants throughout the county that I can’t even imagine doing so in one article. Look around and see if you can spot the ones in this article and then see what other flowers you see that you can’t name. Take a photo and ask someone for information on that flower and you may be quite surprised in finding out what it is.