Sapindus saponaria – The Soapberry gets both its scientific and common names from the soap-like chemicals (saponins) found in the fruits. The fruits can be used for laundry soap, but they can also be used to kill aquatic snails that transmit human diseases.UP: OE atrium BBC: n/a

Schizolobium parahyba – As a juvenile, the trunk of Guapiruvu is unbranched and bears a crown of a few, large, fern-like leaves. At maturity, the tree branches and develops a broad crown, which is covered with yellow flowers when the tree is in bloom. The wood is sometimes used in plywood.UP: OE atrium BBC: n/a

Swietenia mahagoni – West Indian Mahogany is one of the world’s most important hardwoods for fine furniture, cabinetry, musical instruments, and parquetry. Mahogany occurs naturally in South Florida, but the largest, most valuable trees were cut long ago. UP: between GC and OE; plaza N of PC; between DM an GLBBC: Library entrance and N side by street

Syagrus romanzoffiana – The Queen Palm is cultivated throughout Florida because it is cold-hardy and easy to grow. It is a relative of the coconut and produces an oily seed.UP: plaza N of PC BBC: plaza between WUC and Library

Tabebuia rosea – The Rosy Trumpet Tree is a popular flowering tree that blooms at the end of the dry season. Also called the Maquilishuat, it is the national tree of El Salvador. The wood is strong and moderately hard, used for furniture, boat building and outdoor applications.UP: between DM and GL; plaza N of PCBBC: plaza between WUC and Library

Tectona grandis – Teak is prized throughout the world for its valuable, weather-resistant wood, commonly used in the construction of boats, indoor and outdoor furniture, flooring, and paneling. Over-harvesting of natural stands of teak in SE Asia has led to soil erosion and loss of biodiversity. UP: E side of OE BBC: n/a

Triplaris cumingiana – The fruits of Long John are wind-dispersed. Each fruit has three papery wings that spin like helicopter blades as the fruit rotates and drifts to the ground. It is grown for timber and shade for coffee.UP: OE atrium BBC: n/a

Veitchia arecina – A tall, slender palm, the Montgomery Palm is widely used in Florida landscapes. It is native to the islands of Vanuatu in the western Pacific.UP: between GL and GC BBC: plaza between WUC and Library

Wodyetia bifurcata – The Fox-tail Palm gets its name from the shape of its leaf, in which the spreading leaflets give it a bushy, fox-tail appearance. This species was discovered in 1983 in Queensland, Australia, at a time when most botanist believed the palms of Australia were well known.UP: n/a BBC: in front of AC-1

The Campus Tree Guide was made possible by a special grant from the Office of President Modesto Maidique. Text by Drs. Scott Zona & Brad Bennett. Photos by T. Rodd, D. Valke & S. Zona. 8 January 2009.

Copies of this brochure are available for downloading at www.fiu.edu/~biology/html/outreach/campustreeguide.pdf.

10209_BIO 1-09 Printed on Recycled paper _

Pachira quinata – The prickly bark of this tropical American tree, called Cedro Macho or Cedro Espinoso, conceals an excellent hard wood used for furniture making. The flowers are night-blooming and pollinated by moths.UP: NW of WC BBC: n/a

Phoenix canariensis – The Canary Island Date Palm has been in cultivation in Florida since the 1880s. The fruits are edible but a poor substitute for the true Date (Phoenix dactylifera).UP: S of OE; N of WC BBC: plaza between WUC and Library

Phoenix dactylifera – The Date Palm is one of mankind’s oldest cultivated crops. The Date Palm is a cultigen, a crop species that does not exist in the wild. These palms are purely ornamental, as the fruit quality is poor in our wet climate.UP: N and E of WC BBC: n/a

Phoenix roebelenii – From the Mekong River of Southeast Asia comes the Pygmy Date Palm, a small palm that can have either a solitary trunk or multiple trunks. Beware of the long spines at the base each leaf; they inflict wounds that are prone to infection. UP: plaza N of PC BBC: plaza between WUC and Library

Ptychosperma elegans – The Solitaire Palm is widely cultivated in South Florida. The red fruits are consumed by birds, which spread the seeds. The trunk is solitary, but three palms are often planted together as a group.UP: S of OE BBC: plaza between WUC and Library

Quararibea funebris – The Rosita de Cacao of Mexico produces small flowers that are dried and used to flavor chocolate beverages. It is rarely seen in Florida.UP: NW of OE BBC: n/a

Quercus virginiana – Our native Live Oak was originally one of the Southeast’s most important timber species – it was even used for the hull of USS Constitution – until all of the large trees were cut down. Nowadays, its importance is as wildlife habitat and as a shade tree.UP: between GC and OE; between PC and GCBBC: plaza between WUC and Library; in front of AC-1 and Library

Ravenala madagascariensis – In its native Madagascar, the Traveler’s Tree is found along streams and in wetlands. Its flowers are believed to be pollinated by lemurs.UP: OE atrium BBC: n/a

Roystonea regia – The national tree of Cuba, the Royal Palm also occurs in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Yucatan Peninsula. It is fast-growing and stately, and its fruits are enjoyed by birds and bats.UP: between GC and GL; S of GL BBC: n/a

Sabal palmetto – The state tree of both Florida and South Carolina, the Cabbage Palm has many uses by Florida’s indigenous people. Seminoles call it Taal Choobe and use the leaves for thatch. It is also an important wildlife resource. Its flowers attract scores of insects, and birds feast upon the fruits. UP: E of DM; W of PCBBC: plaza between WUC and Library; in front of AC-1

Samanea saman – The Rain Tree is famous for its enormous, spreading canopy, up to 250 ft. wide. Rain Tree heart wood is dark brown and resists insect attack. The fruit pulp is sweet and tastes of licorice.UP: E of WC BBC: n/a

FIU Campus Tree Guide

Adansonia digitata – This young tree is the famous Baobab of Africa. This species develops a massive, water-storing trunk. During droughts, elephants gouge the swollen trunks of baobabs and chew the wood to extract water. UP: N side of WC BBC: n/a

Bischofia javanica – A popular landscape tree in South Florida in the 1970s, Bishopwood is now considered to be an invasive plant the spreads into native ecosystems and disrupts their normal function. Sale of this species is banned in Miami-Dade County.UP: plaza N of PC BBC: n/a

Bismarckia nobilis – The Bismarck Palm has two foliage color forms: silver and green. The silver form is more ornamental and more common in cultivation. The ecological significance of the two color forms is not known.UP: plaza N of PC BBC: n/a

Boswellia sacra – The Frankincense of the Bible is native to Somalia and Arabian Peninsula. Its resin has been used for centuries for incense, perfume and medicine. The resin has anti-inflammatory properties use-ful in treating asthma.UP: E side of OE BBC: n/a

Bucida buceras – A common ornamental tree, the Black Olive is no relation to the true olive tree. The inconspicuous flowers are rich in nectar and attract many kinds of insects.UP: Between OE and WC BBC: n/a

Carpentaria acuminata – The Carpentaria Palm was introduced to Florida in the 1970s. It is fast-growing and produces beautiful clusters of red fruits.UP: plaza N of PC BBC: n/a

Ceiba pentandra – The Ceiba or Kapok is the national tree of Guate-mala and Puerto Rico. In its native habitat, it grows to 200 feet tall, towering over the landscape. Nocturnal flowers are pollinated by bats. Silky floss, or kapok, around the seeds was once used to stuff life-vests.UP: NE side of WC BBC: n/a

Coccoloba pubescens – This tree, Moralón, is seldom cultivated in Florida. It is a close relative of our native Seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera), and like Seagrape, it has large, stiff, nearly circular leaves. The leaves of juvenile plants are larger than those of adults.UP: E side of DM BBC: n/a

Coccoloba uvifera – The Seagrape produces edible, grape-like fruits. Seagrape jelly production was once a thriving industry in South Florida.UP: plaza N of PC BBC: n/a

Coccothrinax crinita – Commonly called the Old Man Palm, this species occurs only in Pinar del Río, Cuba, where it is critically endangered. Only 61 adult palms are known to survive in the wild.UP: plaza N of PC BBC: n/a

Cocos nucifera – The Coconut is one of the most useful palms in the world. The trunk is used for construction, the leaves for thatch, fibers, brooms and mats, and of course, the seeds are edible and a source of oil commonly used in soaps and cosmetics.UP: E of GL; between GC and OE; plaza N of PCBBC: plaza between WUC and Library

Dypsis decaryi – The Triangle Palm gets its common name from its three-sided crown of leaves. Its native habitat is a narrow transition zone between rainforest and spiny desert in southern Madagascar.UP: plaza N of PC BBC: n/a

Dypsis lutescens – The Areca or Butterfly Palm is one of the commonest palms in cultivation, but in its native habitat in Madagascar, it is endangered.UP: n/a BBC: in front of AC-1

Hopea odorata – This tree is seldom cultivated outside its native Malaysia and SE Asia. White Thingan is a member of the Dipterocarpaceae, a family of trees that is species-rich in Malesia and that is the primary timber resource in the region.UP: OE atrium BBC: n/a

Hyophorbe lagenicaulis – The Bottle Palm is native to the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, where it is critically endangered. It is an easy-to-grow palm with a striking, bottle-shaped trunk.UP: plaza N of PC; between CG and GLBBC: plaza between WUC and Library

Lagerstroemia speciosa – The Queen’s Crape Myrtle is one of the most spectacular flowering trees of Asia. Its violet pink flowers brighten the landscape like no other tree.UP: n/a BBC: E side of WUC

Leucothrinax morrisii – Until recently, the unique identity of the Brittle Thatch Palm or Keys Thatch Palm was hiding in plain sight! Long known as Thrinax morrisii, this species was placed in a new genus in 2008, after botanists found that its DNA sequences differed from those of true Thrinax species. UP: OE atrium BBC: n/a

Ligustrum lucidum – Native to Asia, the Glossy Privet or Wax-leaf Privet is widely cultivated for its handsome foliage and terminal clusters of small, ivory flowers.UP: between GC and OE; plaza N of PCBBC: plaza between WUC and Library

Lysiloma sabicu – Sabicu is native to Cuba and the Bahamas, where it is valued as a honey plant and a source of timber used like mahogany in boat-building. UP: N side of PC BBC: plaza between WUC and Library

Melaleuca viminalis – Sometimes placed in the genus Callistemon, the Weeping Bottlebrush is a rheophyte, a plant adapted to growing along-side rivers and streams. The flexible branches, which are not broken by fast-moving water, are an adaptation to the specialized habitat.UP: n/a BBC: margin of parking lot across from AC-1

Millettia pinnata – The Pongam is widely appreciated for its pale pinkish flowers and its dense crown of leaves. The tree has medicinal and commercial uses, but the seed pods are reputedly poisonous.UP: plaza N of PC BBC: n/a

Mimusops elengi – Widely cultivated, even in its native Malesian region, Spanish Cherry is popular for its intensely fragrant flowers. Medicine and dye are extracted from the bark, and the seeds yield a useful oil.UP: OE atrium BBC: n/a

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis – The Tree of Sorrow is sacred to Hindus. Legend says that a princess fell in love with the Sun, who deserted her. She killed herself and was cremated, and from her ashes, the Tree of Sorrow arose. The flowers are very fragrant at night, when the Sun is absent.UP: E side of OE BBC: n/a

Pachira aquatica – The fragrant, spectacular flowers of the Guiana Chestnut are 12 inches across and open at night and wilt the following day. The flowers are pollinated by nectar-eating bats. The seeds are a poor substitute for true chestnuts.UP: W side of WC BBC: n/a

FIU has an important collection of trees, thanks in large part to Mr. Charlie Henington, former Supervisor of Grounds, and Dr. David Lee, of the Department of Biological Sciences. Campus trees provide shade and wildlife habitat, cool and purify the air, and enhance the quality of campus life. FIU’s trees are a mix of native species (those believed to exist in Florida prior to 1513, when Juan Ponce de León “discovered” Florida) and cultivated exotic species brought from countries all over the world. A balance of native and exotic species greatly enhances the horticultural palette of the campus landscape. Many of the tropical tree species on campus can be grown only in South Florida and nowhere else in the continental United States.

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This guide to the trees of the FIU University Park (UP) campus focuses on trees in the area between the Charles Perry Building (PC), Deuxieme Maison (DM), the Graham Center (GC), Green Library (GL), Owa Ehan (OE) and the Wertheim Conservatory (WC). On the Biscayne Bay campus (BBC), featured trees can be found in front of Academic I (AC-1) and the Library, and in the plaza between the Library and Wolfe University Center (WUC). This is not an exhaustive list of all the trees on the campuses, and some plants listed as “n/a” (not applicable) may be found on campus outside the focal areas.

The guide is organized alphabetically by the scientific names of the trees. The scientific name, found on a small tag on the featured trees, is the key to the vast literature on tropical trees. Common names are also provided, but be advised that many different common names may be used for the same species, and common names differ from country to country.