Dominican Flora



Species | Plants

Plants from the prize city of America.

Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, is becoming green again as part of a tree-planting scheme, implemented by the local government in 2005. Endemic plants to the country are bred in nurseries to then brighten up public areas as part of the plan. Trees are chosen through consideration not only of the origin of the species but also the advantages and disadvantages of each one. The following table shows the plants that grow well in the parks, sidewalks and boulevards of this prize city of the Americas. 

Scientific

name

Common name

Use

Flowers and fruits

Hardiness

Notes

Problems

Bucida buceras

Black Olive tree

Tree providing shade in parks, traffic islands and on the banks of rivers

Melliferous flowers

Resists urban contamination, wind drought, nitrate

Height: 10-25 meters

Trunk width: up to 1m

Top diameter: up to 15m

Tolerates pruning

Slow growth if the root system is restricted

Its fruits contain tannic acid, which affects paint on cars and the roads; its roots can cause damage

Bursera simaruba

West Indian Birch

Very ornamental tree. Ideal for parks, squares and avenues

Melliferous flowers, Flower from winter to spring. Fruit: a drupe, eaten by birds

Resists urban contamination, wind drought, nitrate

Height: 5-15m

Top diameter: about 8m

Tolerates pruning

Tolerates shade

 Straight trunk, reaching heights of 2-4m.

Susceptible to insect attacks. Its roots can damage sidewalks. It does not provide much shade.

Calophyllum calaba

False Mamey

Tree providing shade in parks, squares, avenues, edges of streams in

a managed form such as hedges

White fragrant flowers, numerous in spring and summer. The fruit is a drupe that is eaten by bats

.

Height: 12-20m

Height of trunk: minimum 2m

Symmetrical branches

Dense foliage

Tolerates pruning.

.

Capparis cynophallophora

Jamaican Caper tree

Shade-providing tree for parks, squares, avenues, secondary roads, main streets

Flowers: purple and white, fragrant

Resistant to urban contamination

Height: 7-12m.

Requires pruning

Lower branches need pruning;

Slow growth

Chrysophyllum oliviforme

Satin leaf

Ornamental tree for shade in parks, squares, traffic islands and avenues

.

Tolerates drought and lack of sunlight

Height: 10-15m

.

Citharexylum fruticosum

Fiddlewood

Ornamental trees for parks, secondary roads, avenues with narrow green spaces and avenues with cables

White flowers, spiky, fragrant, and melliferous. Red drupe fruit, which are eaten by birds

Resistant to plagues

Height: 3-15m

Its roots do not cause damage.

It requires intense sunlight and pruning

Its initial growth in nurseries is quick

Slow growth after the initial phase

Coccoloba diversifolia

Pigeon Plum

Ornamental tree and shade providing tree for parks, squares, avenues and secondary roads

Its fruit is eaten by birds

Resistant to drought, wind and nitrate

Height: 6-10m.

Grows relatively quickly

Its fruits fall from the tree and can be difficult to clear

Coccoloba uvifera

Sea Grape

Ornamental tree and shade providing tree for parks, squares and marine coast. They can also be managed as hedges

Melliferous flowers, Attract butterflies. Its fruit, in hanging clusters are eaten by birds

Resistant to urban contamination, nitrate and wind

Height: 2-15m

It needs pruning to produce a strong trunk

Branches can break in strong winds

The leaves can be attached by insects

Conocarpus erectus

Button wood

Ornamental and shade-providing trees, ideal fro parks, reduced spaces and on sidewalks, and marine coastline. Can be managed to form hedges

.

Tolerates wind, nitrate and drought

.

Needs pruning to develop a strong trunk

Cordia collococca

Red Man jack

Ornamental tree and shade providing tree and secondary roads

White flowers with multicolored tips. Melliferous. Its fruit is red.

.

Height: 7-15m

.

Cordia sebestena

Geiger tree

Ornamental tree and shade providing tree, avenues, secondary roads, car parks and areas with low cables.

Scarlet, tubular melliferous flowers. Flowers all year round. Edible fruit.

Resistant to urban contamination, drought, nitrate and wind

Height: 5-9m.

Needs pruning to develop a strong trunk

Crescentia cujete

Calabash tree

Ornamental tree for parks, squares and gardens

Yellowish bell-shaped flowers. Flower all year round. Its fruit is a gourd, 10-40 cm in length

.

Height: 5-12m

Approx diameter at top: 6m.

The lower branches can need pruning

Large fruits,

pulp of the fruit is poisonous

Guaiacum officinale

Guaiacum

Ornamental tree for parks, squares, avenues, avenues with cables, roads, sea shores and private gardens

Melliferous blue flowers, They flower any time between winter and autumn. Yellow fruit, food for birds

.

Height 3-8m.

Diameter at top approximately

6-8m.

Grows slowly

Simarouba berteroana

Olive

Tree for parks traffic islands in avenues and main roads

Black edible drupe fruit. Eaten by birds

.

Height: 10-12m

Hanging branches need pruning

Branches from its base. Roots can cause damage

Simarouba glauca

Paradise tree

Ornamental tree for parks, and traffic islands Must be planted in small quantities to avoid allergy problems

Melliferous flowers. Its fruit is a red edible drupe. Eaten by birds and bats

.

Height: 15-20m

Straight trunk. Can be planted in areas that receive little sunlight

Does not tolerate excesses of humidity.

Its branches are fragile

Roots can cause damage

Can stain sidewalk

and can cause an allergic reaction

Swietenia mahagoni

West Indies Mahogany

Shade-providing trees for parks, squares and avenues

Melliferous flowers.

Fruit: woody capsules

Resistant to urban contamination, drought

Height: 10-23m

Approximate top diameter: 12m.

You must prune heavily to develop a strong trunk

Roots can cause damage

Tabebuia berterii

Tabebuia

Ornamental tree for parks, squares, avenues, main roads and secondary roads

Pale pink or white flower, abundant in spring

.

Height: up to 12m

Single trunk

Short branches

.

Tabebuia rosea

Pink trumpet tree

Ornamental and shade-providing tree

Pink eye-catching flowers, bloom in spring

Resistant to urban contamination

.

Does not tolerate poor soils

Terminalia catappa

Tropical almond tree

Ornamental and shade-providing tree for squares, and avenues

Melliferous flowers.

Flowers all year round.

Edible fruit.

Resists drought, urban contamination and nitrates

Height: 8-20m

Has horizontal branches and a wide trunk.

Grows quickly

Susceptible to attacks from leaf-eating insects.

The tannic acids from the fruit can stain cars.

The roots can cause damage.

Strong winds can damage branches.