Sharing Is Caring! Share this awesome content with your friends now.
New! For Authentic Jamaican products, from my very own hands, visit my Etsy store here.
According our sources at the JIS, The Lignum Vitae, the Jamaica National Flower, was found here by Christopher Columbus. Its' name, when translated from Latin, means “wood of life” – probably adopted because of its medicinal qualities.
Click Here to watch my latest videos on my fun YouTube channel - you'll love it!
The short, compact tree is native to continental tropical American and the West Indies. In Jamaica it grows best in the dry woodland along the north and south coasts of the Jamaica.
The plant is extremely ornamental, producing an attractive blue flower and orange-yellow fruit, while its crown has an attractive rounded shape. Its small purple blossom is what we label as Jamaica's national flower!
The tree is one of the most useful in the world. The body, gum, bark, fruit, leaves and blossom all serve some useful purpose. In fact, the tree has been regarded for its medicinal properties. The leaf of the plant is used for rubbing on cuts and insect bites by many people particulary those in the St. Elizabeth are of Jamaica.
A gum (gum guaiac) obtained from its resin was once regarded as a purgative. It was exported to Europe from the early sixteenth century as a remedy (combined with mercury) for syphilis and has also been used as a remedy for gout. The wood was once used as propeller shaft bearings in nearly all the ships sailing the ‘Seven Seas’.
Because of this, Lignum Vitae and Jamaica
are closely associated in shipyards worldwide. It is a very heavy wood
which will sink in water.
Because of its toughness it is used for items such as mortars, mallets, pulleys and batons carried by policemen. It is also used for furniture.
It is said that The lignum vitae is found in very few other locations around the world because they survive only in dry, arid climates.
Read more interesting facts on Jamaica on my 'Interesting Facts on Jamaica Page. Be sure to also get an overview of the plants in Jamaica.
You may also find these informative pages quite insightful useful as well:
Return to National Symbols of Jamaica from The Jamaica National Flower
Back to My-Island-Jamaica.com homepage from Jamaica National Flower
And by the way, just in case, you are not yet a part of the action. Please subscribe to My Island Jamaica
Mini-Blog also.
This RSS feed is a small blog about Jamaica (kind of a journal), which will also let you know whenever any new or changed Web pages appear on My-Island-Jamaica.com.
It keeps you up-to-date with other special postings that you might otherwise miss.
Look for the XML|RSS graphic on the links bar to the left of this page and subscribe there.
Sharing IS Caring... Its now YOUR turn to...
If you found this page useful, please consider subscribing to my weekly newsletter, My Island Jamaica Digest here.
It tells you each week about the new information that I have added, including new developments and great stories from lovers of Jamaica!
New! Talk To Me
Was the information helpful? Something needs changing? I welcome your feedback here.
-
Please help me get the message out by sharing this article with your friends on social media (links below). Thnx ;-)
Also connect with My-Island-Jamaica.com on Social Media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
Thank You!
Click Here to try our dependable and effective Site Search tool. It works!
Or, simply click here and here, to browse my library of over 500 questions and answers! Chances are someone already asked (and got an answer to) your question.
A patriotic Jamaican who adore its culture, Wellesley has been using this medium to share what he calls 'the uniqueness of Jamaica with the world' since April 2007.
To date, he serves over 9,300 unique readers / viewers per day.
His efforts have earned this site featured positions in local publications, including the Jamaica Gleaner's Hospitality Jamaica, Carlong Publishers, as well as recognition from numerous prestigious international agencies and universities. Read more about him here.
He invites you to subscribe to this site to stay updated on all the latest and check out his unique Jamaican products on his Etsy store.
If you are on social media, here are the links to follow his latest posts
You are also invited to join his exclusive JAMHearts community where like-minded Jamaican enthusiasts discuss all things Jamaican.
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.