Checklist of Trees and Tree-like Plants
A tree is defined here as a woody plant at least 12 feet high with a single trunk 2 inches or more in diameter at breast height. A tree-like plant is one with the general shape and size of a tree, but one which is not woody or otherwise fails to meet the definition. The arrangement of families is generally the same as that of Small’s Manual of Southeastern Flora (1933) and Long and Lakela’s A Flora of Tropical Florida (1971). Genera and species are listed alphabetically in each family. Nomenclature follows Avery and Loope, Plants of [Everglades] National Park: A Preliminary Checklist of Vascular Plants (1983). In the checklist, the introduced species are followed by a symbol, [key] below, that describes the plants’ success in the Everglades. Native plants list only their name.
| We | Well established. An [exotic] plant that has become widely naturalized, with a large population. |
| Sl | Slightly naturalized. An exotic plant that has a small foothold, often found near a mature tree that acts as a seed source. |
| Pr | Persistent. An exotic plant that goes on living for a long time after it is planted, and that may appear to be native or naturalized. |
| Sm | Small, rarely tree-sized. A plant that may sometimes become a tree, but that often does not meet the definition. |
| Cu | Cultivated only. Known only as a cultivated species, but which is retained on this list because either Small or Long and Lakela treat it as native or naturalized. |
PINE FAMILY: PINACEAE South Florida Slash Pine Pinus elliottii var. densa
BALD CYPRESS FAMILY: TAXODIACEAE Pond cypress Taxodium ascendens Bald cypress Taxodium distichum
PALM FAMILY: ARECACEAE Paurotis palm Acoelorraphe wrightii Silver palm Coccothrinax argentata Coconut Cocos nucifera Sl Royal palm Roystonea elata Cabbage palm Sabal palmetto Saw palmetto Serenoa repens Thatch palm Thrinax radiata
CENTURY PLANT FAMILY: AGAVACEAE False sisal Agave decipiens Sisal Agave sisalana We Spanish dagger Yucca aloifolia
BANANA FAMILY: MUSACEAE Banana Musaceae musa × paradisiaca
BEEFWOOD FAMILY: CASUARINACEAE Australian-pine Casuarina equisetifolia We Suckering Australian-pine Casuarina glauca Pr
WILLOW FAMILY: SALIACACEAE Willow Salix caroliniana
BAYBERRY FAMILY: MYRICACEAE Wax-myrtle Myrica cerifera
OAK FAMILY: FAGACEAE Laurel oak Quercus laurifolia Live oak Quercus virginiana
ELM FAMILY: ULMACEAE Hackberry Celtis laevigata West Indian trema Trema lamarckianum Florida trema Trema micranthum
MULBERRY FAMILY: MORACEAE Strangler fig Ficus aurea Shortleaf fig Ficus citrifolia Red mulberry Morus rubra
XIMENIA FAMILY: OLACACEAE Graytwig Schoepfia chrysophylloides Tallowwood Ximenia americana
BUCKWHEAT FAMILY: POLYGONACEAE Pigeon plum Coccoloba diversifolia Sea grape Coccoloba uvifera
FOUR-O-CLOCK FAMILY: NYCTAGINACEAE Blolly Guapira discolor Push-and-hold-back Pisonia aculeata
MAGNOLIA FAMILY: MAGNOLIACEAE Sweet bay Magnolia virginiana
CUSTARD-APPLE FAMILY: ANNONACEAE Pond apple Annona glabra
LAUREL FAMILY: LAURACEAE Lancewood Nectandra coriacea Red-bay Persea borbonia Avocado Persea americana var. americana
CAPER FAMILY: CAPPARACEAE Jamaica caper Capparis cynophallophora Limber caper Capparis flexuosa Sm
ROSE FAMILY: ROSACEAE West Indian cherry Prunus myrtifolia
COCO-PLUM FAMILY: CHRYSOBALANACEAE Coco-plum Chrysobalanus icaco
PEA FAMILY: FABACEAE Sweet acacia Acacia farnesiana Acacia pinetorum Sm Shy leaf Aeschynomene americana var. americana Aeschynomene pratensis var. pratensis Women’s tongue Albizia lebbeck Sl Orchid tree Bauhinia purpurea Sl Cassia aspera Bahama senna Cassia Chapmanii Cassia deeringiana Golden shower Cassia fistula Pr Cassia ligustrina Sickle-pod Cassia obtusifolia Dalbergia brownei Royal ponciana Delonix regia Coral-bean Erythrina herbacea Jumbie bean Leucaena leucocephala Sl Wild tamarind Lysiloma latisiliquum Jamaica dogwood Piscidia piscipula Black-bead Pithecellobium guadalupense Cat’s claw Pithecellobium unguis-cati Necklace pod Sophora tomentosa
RUE FAMILY: RUTACEAE Citrus spp. Pr Wild lime Zanthoxylum fagara
AILANTHUS FAMILY: SIMAROUBACEAE Alvaradoa amorphoides Paradise-tree Simarouba glauca
BAY CEDAR FAMILY: SURIANACEAE Bay cedar Suriana maritima Sm
BURSERA FAMILY: BURSERACEAE Gumbo-limbo Bursera simaruba
MAHOGANY FAMILY: MELIACEAE Mahogany Swietenia mahagoni
MALPIGHIA FAMILY: MALPIGHIACEAE Locust-berry Brysonima lucida
SPURGE FAMILY: EUPHORBIACEAE Crabwood Ateramnus lucidus Bischofia javanica Sl Milk Bark Drypetes diversifolia Guiana-plum Drypetes lateriflora Manchineel Hippomane mancinella
CASHEW FAMILY: ANACARDIACEAE Poisonwood Metopium toxiferum Southern sumac Rhus copallina var. leucantha Brazilian-pepper Schinus terebinthifolius We Hogplum Spondias purpurea
HOLLY FAMILY: AQUIFOLIACEAE Dahoon Ilex cassine Tawnyberry holly Ilex krugiana
BITTERSWEET FAMILY: CELASTRACEAE Ground holly Crossopetalum ilicifolium Sm Rhacoma Crossopetalum rhacoma Sm Guttapercha mayten Maytenus phyllanthoides
MAPLE FAMILY: ACERACEAE Red maple Acer rubum
SOAPBERRY FAMILY: SAPINDACEAE Varnish-leaf Dodonaea viscose var. linearis Inkwood Exothea paniculata White ironwood Hypelate trifoliata Spanish lime Melicoccus bijugatus Pr Soapberry Sapindus saponaria
BUCKTHORN FAMILY: RHAMNACEAE Coffee colubrina Colubrina arborescens Colubrina asiatica Cuban colubrina Colubrina cubensis Sm Black ironwood Krugiodendron ferreum
ELAEOCARPUS FAMILY: ELAEOCARPACEAE Strawberry-tree Muntinoia calabura Pr
MALLOW FAMILY: MALVACEAE Wild cotton Gossypium hirsutum Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Pr Turk’s cap Malvaviscus arboreus var. mexicanus Cork tree Thespesia populnea
CANELLA FAMILY: CANELLACEAE Wild-cinnamon Cannela winterana
PAPAYA FAMILY: CARICACEAE Papaya Carica papaya
CACTUS FAMILY: CACTACEAE Prickly apple Cereus gracilus var. simpsonii Dildo Cereus pentagonus
[MANGROVE] FAMILY: RHIZOPHORACEAE Red mangrove Rhizophora mangle
COMBRETUM FAMILY: COMBRETACEAE Black olive Bucida buceras Pr Buttonwood Conocarpus erectus White [mangrove] Laguncularia racemosa Indian almond Terminalia catappa Pr
MYRTLE FAMILY: MYRTACEAE Bottlebrush Callistemon viminalis Pr Spicewood Calyptranthes pallens var. pallens Myrtle-of-the-river Calyptranthes zuzygium White stopper Eugenia axillaris Spanish stopper Eugenia foetida Cajeput Melaleuca quinquenervia Sl Simpson stopper Myrcianthes fragans var. simpsonii Guava Psidium guajava We Long-stalked stopper Psidium longipes var. longipes Sm
MEADOW-BEAUTY FAMILY: MELASTOMATACEAE Spanish leather Tetrazygia bicolor
JOE-WOOD FAMILY: THEOPHRASTACEAE Joe-wood Jacquinia keyensis
MYRSINE FAMILY: MYRSINACEAE Marlberry Ardisia escallonioides Shoebutton ardisia Ardisia solanacea We Myrsine Myrsine floridana
SAPODILLA FAMILY: SAPOTACEAE Saffron-plum Bumelia celastrina Bumelia reclinata var. reclinata Sm Willow bustic Bumelia salicifolia Satin leaf Chrysophyllum oliviforme Wild dilly Manilkara bahamensis Mastic Mastichodendron foetidissimum
EBONY FAMILY: EBENACEAE Persimmon Diospyros virginiana
OLIVE FAMILY: OLEACEAE Wild-olive Forestiera segregata var. pinetorum Sm Florida-privet Forestiera segregata var. segregata Sm Pop ash Fraxinus caroliniana
DOGBANE FAMILY: APOCYNACEAE Thevetia peruviana Pr Pearl-berry Vallesia antillana
BORAGE FAMILY: BORAGINACEAE Smooth strongbark Bourreria cassinifolia Strongbark Bourreria ovata Geiger-tree Cordia sebestena
BLACK [MANGROVE] FAMILY: AVICENNIACEAE Black Mangrove Avicennia germinans
VERBENA FAMILY: VERBENACEAE Fiddlewood Citharexylum fructicosum Java Glory-bowers Cleradendrum speciosissimum
POTATO FAMILY: SOLANACEAE Potato tree Solanum erianthum
MADDER FAMILY: RUBIACEAE Seven-year-apple Casasia clusiifolia Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis Black torch Erithalis fruticosa Sm Velvet seed Guettarda elliptica Rough velvet-seed Guettarda scabra Firebush Hamelia patens Indigo-berry Randia aculeata Sm
HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY: CAPRIFOLIACEAE Southern elderberry Sambucus canadensis
ASTER FAMILY: ASTERACEAE Groundsel-tree Baccharis glomeruliflora Sm Groundsel-tree Baccharis halimifolia Sm