Navigate the map below to see where we have planted trees in the Cayman Islands.
The National Tree Planting Programme focuses on planting native trees - as well as native bushes and herbacous plants - across the Cayman Islands.
Native plants are species that naturally grow in particular regions or ecosystems without human intervention; they have developed in a specific place or territory through natural processes. These plants are adapted to the local environment. An example of a native Cayman tree is Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) which is found across our Islands but also in other Caribbean nations.
Endemic plants are native, but they are unique in that they are found in specific regions and ecosystems. For example, Ironwood (Chionanthus caymanensis) and Silver Thatch (Coccothrinax proctorii) are endemic to the Cayman Islands, meaning they are naturally found no where else in the world. Although not a tree, the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax fawcettii) is an example of an endemic species that is only found on Grand Cayman.
As a result of their narrow geographic range and small populations, endemic plants are usually rare and more susceptible to changes in their environment, which could lead to their extinction.
According to the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, there are approximately 415 native species of plants in the Cayman Islands, of which 21 are endemic species and another eight species are endemic varieties. New records and species continue to be discovered.
In addition to being important features of our natural environment, providing habitat and food for a variety of animal species, native and endemic trees play a unique role in Caymanian history and culture.
Perhaps one of the Cayman Islands’ most culturally important trees, the demand for Mahogany wood enticed some of the earliest settlers to our country’s shores. An exceptionally durable and beautiful hardwood, mahogany was used to construct everything from schooners and furniture, to musical instruments.
For suggestions of native and fruit trees that you can grow, click here.
