GROVE RELEAF Tree ID Guide
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in partnership with
Miami Canopy Coalition
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Australian Pine (Casuarina equisetifolia)............................ 2 Avocado (Persea americana)............................................... 4 Banyan (Ficus benghalensis)............................................... 6 Black Olive (Terminalia buceras)......................................... 8 Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia)........................10 Caribbean Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni).................12 Coconut (Cocos nucifera)...................................................14 False Tamarind (Lysiloma latisiliquum).............................16 Guava (Psidium guajava)....................................................18 Gumbo Limbo (Bursera simaruba)...................................20 Indian Almond (Terminalia catappa)................................22 Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)...........................................24 Mango (Mangifera indica)..................................................26 Papaya (Carica papaya)......................................................28 Paradise Tree (Simarouba glauca).....................................30 Pigeon Plum (Coccoloba diversifolia)..............................32 Pink Silk Cotton Tree (Ceiba speciosa).............................34 Poinciana (Delonix regia)....................................................36 Queensland Umbrella Tree (Schefflera actinophylla)....38 Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle)...............................40 Royal Palm (Roystonea regia).............................................42 Sabal Palm (Sabal palmetto)..............................................44 Satinleaf (Chrysophyllum oliviforme)................................46 Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera).........................................48
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Tree Guide Grove ReLeaf teaches plant identification and inventory
skills while also developing a citizen science network for
urban tree mapping and monitoring. The database is the product of citizens who are interested in understanding
and protecting trees, biodiversity and ecosystem services in their neighborhood. You can browse the database and learn more by visiting https://pg-cloud.com/ictb/.
You can review existing trees and learn plant identification skills by scrolling around the map. Trees are color-coded by their species. Click on any tree to reveal details about its size and identity. Click on eco-benefits to reveal the
dollar values of the tree’s contributions to vital services in our urban landscape.
The Grove ReLeaf Tree Guide also offers color-coded
recommendations on which trees you might want to plant. Green label: Planting recommended Yellow label: Plant where appropriate Red label: Do not plant Get Involved – Become a Scientist
If you would like to add trees to our database, please
e-mail us at tropics@fiu.edu to request a login account.
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AUSTRALIAN PINE (Casuarina equisetifolia) Status: Non-native, invasive. How to ID: Evergreen tree with a reddish brown to gray bark that is rough and brittle. It has pine-like leaves. Maintenance: Leaf litter can prevent other plants from growing around it. Why we love it: We don’t. Fun Fact: It is a popular bonsai species.
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AVOCADO (Persea americana) Status: Non-native. How to ID: Large, simple alternate dark-green leaves, dark gray bark, upright growing canopy. Maintenance: Full sun. Well-drained soil. Requires pruning to stimulate fruit production. Why we love it: Delicious, buttery fruit. Fun Fact: Laurel Wilt Disease is a major threat to this species.
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BLACK OLIVE (Terminalia buceras) Status: Non-native. How to ID: Evergreen, smooth trunk, dense pyramid shape canopy. Simple, alternate, dark green, leathery leaves. Maintenance: Full sun. Needs well-drained soils. Fruit can stain surfaces, large canopy needs pruning to reduce reach. Why we love it: It is fast growing and provides excellent shade and windbreaks. Fun Fact: It has dense wood used for fuel, charcoal and construction. 6 | Grove ReLeaf Tree ID Guide
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BANYAN (Ficus benghalensis) Status: Non-native, very common but on prohibited species list. How to ID: Tall, with aerial roots that develop into new trunks, allowing the tree to spread laterally indefinitely. Large, simple, alternate leaves with scant fuzzy hairs. Maintenance: Aerial roots must be trimmed. Fruit can be a nuisance. Why we love it: Banyans provide great shade, but local trees leverage wasp pollinators to reproduce.
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BRAZILIAN PEPPER (Schinus terebinthifolia) Status: Non-native, invasive. How to ID: Shrub or small tree. Short trunk hidden in thicket of branches. Young leaves can be reddish and smell of turpentine when crushed. Maintenance: Removal is recommended. Why we love it: We don’t. It is part of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection list of prohibited plants. Fun Fact: It is in the same family as poison ivy, so it may cause dermatitis. 10 | Grove ReLeaf Tree ID Guide
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CARIBBEAN MAHOGANY (Swietenia mahagoni) Status: Native. How to ID: Semi-evergreen with loose, dome-shaped canopy. Alternate, pinnately-compound leaves with small green-yellow leaflets. Maintenance: Requires regular pruning to remove dead branches. Why we love it: Fast growth. Suitable for lawn plantings. Fruit can be a nuisance. Fun Fact: While common in South Florida, this species is listed as endangered by the IUCN.
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COCONUT (Cocos nucifera) Status: Non-native, cannot be planted on streets. How to ID: Palm with curved, single trunk. Large, pinnately divided leaves. Maintenance: Full sun. Well-drained soil. Why we love it: We don’t. Although it is one of the most useful plants to mankind.
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FALSE TAMARIND (Lysiloma latisiliquum) Status: Native. How to ID: Alternate, bipinnatelycompound leaves along zig-zag angled branches. Small, twisted fruit pods. Maintenance: Requires full sun and well-drained soil. Fruit can be a nuisance around pools. Why we love it: Great shade. Used by a variety of butterflies as host and nectar source.
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GUAVA (Psidium guajava) Status: Non-native. How to ID: Small tree with mottled, colored bark that flakes. Small, simple opposite leaves. Characteristic fruity odor when leaves are crushed. Maintenance: Full sun. Well-drained soil. Frequent fertilization. Why we love it: Flowers and fruits year-round. Fun Fact: Guava is a super fruit, rich in vitamins, protein and fiber and with medicinal properties.
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GUMBO LIMBO (Bursera simaruba) Status: Native. How to ID: Characteristic peeling paper-like thin orange bark, turpentine odor. Maintenance: Needs sun and a large growing area as it grows fast. Should be pruned regularly. Why we love it: Great for shade and unmistakable bark, though fruits can be messy. Fun fact: Gumbo Limbo is in the same family as Frankincense (Burseraceae).
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INDIAN ALMOND (Terminalia catappa) Status: Non-native, invasive. How to ID: Symmetrical canopy of large, simple, alternate leaves, turning red-orange before falling. Characteristic almond-shaped fruits. Maintenance: Full sun. Drought and salt tolerant. Requires frequent mulching and fertilizing. Why we love it: Great for shade in yards and streets. Fun Fact: Seeds are edible and have anti-microbial properties.
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LIVE OAK (Quercus virginiana) Status: Native. How to ID: Large, low branching tree with furrowed dark gray bark. Is the most commonly planted replacement tree in South Florida. Often seen draped with Spanish Moss. Maintenance: Slow growth. Overall low maintenance. Why we love it: Great shade. Durable. Picturesque. 24 | Grove ReLeaf Tree ID Guide
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MANGO (Mangifera indica) Status: Non-native. How to ID: Simple, alternate lance-shaped leaves, red when young, spirally arranged on twigs. Characteristic odor of twigs and leaves for Mango fruit. Maintenance: Most varieties prefer full sun and require ample space. Why we love it: It’s Mango. Need we say more? Fun Fact: There are hundreds of Mango varieties. It is a very popular fruit worldwide.
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Papaya (Carica Papaya) Status: Might be native. How to ID: Vegetative trunk with large simple, lobed leaves. Maintenance: Requires full sun and well-drained soil. Why we love it: Delicious fruit and easy maintenance. Fun Fact: Papaya is short-lived but it grows very fast.
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PARADISE TREE (Simarouba glauca) Status: Native. How to ID: Pinnately-compound alternate leaves, with shiny, leathery leaflets that are red when young. Round, full canopy. Maintenance: The seeds and fruit are messy and will stain hard surfaces. Why we love it: Great shade and fast growing. Wood is generally insect resistant. Fun Fact: It produces an edible oil used for cooking in Central America and India.
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PIGEON PLUM (Coccoloba diversifolia) Status: Native. How to ID: It is densely-foliated, with multi-shaped, medium-sized leaves. Mottled bark like a Seagrape. Maintenance: Its seeds attract birds, but they can be a nuisance. Why we love it: Great shade. Attacks wildlife.
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PINK SILK COTTON TREE (Ceiba speciosa) Status: Non-native. How to ID: Thorns on trunk, greenish trunk when young. Alternate, palmately-compound leaves. Maintenance: Needs full sun. Should be pruned regularly for dead branches. Why we love it: Magnificent blooms, particularly in the fall. Great for shade. Fun Fact: Used as dugout canoes in the Amazon.
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POINCIANA (Delonix regia) Status: Non-native. How to ID: Wide, spreading branches like an umbrella. Large, long fruit pods. Alternate, bipinnately compound leaves with tiny leaflets. Maintenance: Pruning to reduce long branches reaching to ground. Fruit and leaf drop can be a nuisance. Why we love it: Magnificent, radiant blooms. Fun Fact: A newly planted tree will likely take 5 years to bloom.
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QUEENSLAND TREE (Schefflera actinophylla) Status: Non-native, invasive. How to ID: Large shiny leaves, skinny trunk creates the impression of a plant umbrella. Maintenance: Full sun. Needs protection from wind. Why we love it: While they are beautiful trees, we advocate for their removal.
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RED MANGROVE (Rhizophora mangle) Status: Native. How to ID: Simple, opposite darkgreen leaves. Unique tangled reddish prop roots. Maintenance: Low. Needs to be at shoreline of warm and brackish water. Why we love it: They provide a nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans. Fun Fact: Red Mangrove produces excellent charcoal.
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ROYAL PALM (Roystonea regia) Status: Native. How to ID: Large palm with large diameter and smooth, grey trunk with irregular swellings. Large, pinnately divided leaves. Maintenance: Partial shade. Plant them away from buildings due to their size. Old fronds should be removed as they die. Why we love it: Low maintenance. Fragrant flowers almost year-round. Fun Fact: Dead palms can be home to woodpeckers.
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SABAL PALM (Sabal palmetto) Status: Native. How to ID: Fibrous trunk with dense, round crown. Large, palmately-divided leaves. Maintenance: Needs regular water and prefers moist soils. Why we love it: It is really sturdy and will perform well when subjected to hurricanes. Fun Fact: It’s the official Florida State Tree.
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SATINLEAF (Chrysophyllum oliviforme) Status: Native, listed as threatened in Florida. How to ID: Evergreen. Its 4-inch-long leaves have a glossy, dark green color above and a glowing, copper color below. Maintenance: Full sun. Susceptible to freezing temperatures. Why we love it: Its beautiful foliage. Fun Fact: Roots are especially susceptible to transplant shock.
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SEA GRAPE (Coccoloba uvifera) Status: Native. How to ID: Smooth bark has mottled coloring with patches of white, gray and light brown. Simple, alternate circular leaves turn red when they fall. Maintenance: Requires regular hand pruning to reduce large amount of crossing branches. Why we love it: Drought and salt tolerant. Fruit attracts birds. Fun Fact: Fruit (of female trees) can be harvested to eat raw or to make a delicious jelly.
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Once home to plant explorer David Fairchild, The Kampong is now home to the International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong, a collaboration between FIU and the National Tropical Botanical Garden. The Kampong is home to living collections of subtropical and tropical fruits, palms, flowers, shrubs and vines, many of which were brought and planted here by Fairchild. The property also houses the Fairchild-Sweeney House, the Schokman Education Center and a mangrove preserve.
INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENT tropics@fiu.edu Designed and printed by FIU’s External Relations, Strategic Communications & Marketing. 19300_04/20
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