Stay up-to-date with all that's new at My-Island-Jamaica, Click Here to subscribe for my updates and don't miss a thing!

Have a QUESTION?

5 Marvels About The Plants in Jamaica

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.

Custom Search

I already gave you an insight into the plants in Jamaica on my overview page, but I had to designate a separate page to elaborate.

Watch! See the real Jamaica in VIDEOS

Click Here to watch my latest videos on my fun YouTube channel - you'll love it!

The generous tropical climate of the island and its fertile soils are favorable for flourishing of hundreds of Jamaican plants.

Luscious, and remarkably diversified vegetation characterize our plant life.

We have a vast number of endemic plants here. So much so that this led to a unique composition in the forest of the Blue Mountains, the John Crow Mountains as well as the Cockpit Country.

Among the indigenous trees are cedar, mahogany, logwood, rosewood, ebony, palmetto palm, coconut palm and pimento (allspice).

Introduced varieties, such as the mango, breadfruit, banana and plantain, also flourish here and are widely cultivated.
Read more about Jamaican fruits here.

Andy bay the way, ferns grow almost everywhere here.

jamaican peppermint plant

Jamaican plant - soursop

Here is a short list of some of the marvels of the plants in Jamaica

Over three thousand species of plants grow on the island, and 27% of them are found nowhere else on earth!
More than 200 species of flowering plants have been classified!
Over 230 species of Orchids, 60 of which are endemic!
Over 580 types of ferns, 64 of which are endemic!
The spectacular Blue Mountain provides perfect conditions for the cultivation of the world's finest coffee!

I will also add the value of plants in Jamaica for medicinal purposes. Although they are not as widely regarded as in older times, many persons (particularly the older rural folks), rely on the plants to treat many ailments.

I can tell you my great grandmother who parented me (if she was still alive) would be happy to share all the what, how, where and when to use special plants for medicine.

I recall cerasee, leaf o' life, Rosemary, and Jackanna bush easily as some of those she regularly used!

Jamaican cerasee plant

Jamaican Dandelion Plant

Jamaican leaf of life

The general method is to boil the leaves or stems and make a 'tea'. In some cases leaves are used to make a poultice and paste directly on aches and pains.

Read more about Jamaican medicinal bush teas here.

By the way, The blue lignum vitae is one of the national symbols of Jamaica - It is our national flower! and the Blue Mahoe is Jamaica's National Tree!

Our botanical gardens showcases our beautiful and exotic plants, hearkening back to our rich horticultural heritage.

They include:

Bath Botanic Gardens in St. Thomas,
Royal Botanical Gardens (Hope Gardens)
and Cinchona, both in St. Andrew and Castleton Gardens in St. Mary.

We also have some smaller, more recently developed gardens that have attracted great attention as a result of their natural splendor.

These include Coyaba River Garden, Cranbrook Flower Forest and the Shaw Park Gardens.

And if you love the shows, we feature a number of horticultural and/or agricultural shows yearly!

And just before you go, just wanted to let you know that the Scientific Research Council of Jamaica provides a very helpful inventory of Jamaican Plant Varieties by tissue culture.

Take a Look at them here when you get a chance. And whatever you do, please don't miss our page on Jamaican Bush Teas.

Must-Visit Pages Related To Plants In Jamaica

You might like these as well

Coronavirus In Jamaica | Jamaica Records Its First Case

There is now one suspected case of Corona virus in Jamaica. Details here
Jamaican Bush Teas - Oldie, But Still Goodie!

Traditional Jamaican Bush Teas, oldie but still goodie

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!

Back To The Top Of This Page

New! Talk To Me
Was the information helpful? Something needs changing? I welcome your feedback here.

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.

Recommended For You ...

P.S. Didn't find exactly what you were looking for? Still need help?

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.

About The Author

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.