How to Grow and Care for Guaiacum

Roughbark lignum-vitae (Guaiacum officinale) is a species of tree that is native to the Caribbean and northern coasts of South America. It is the official national flower of Jamaica. The tree produces five-petalled blue flowers that mature into bright yellow-orange fruits with red flesh and black seeds. Roughbark lignum-vitae is also known for its strong wood.

Holywood (Guaiacum sanctum) is indigenous to tropical regions of the Americas, and it happens to be the national tree of the Bahamas. Its wood is one of the hardest on the planet, with a Janka hardness score of 4500. Unlike most types of wood, holywood is so dense that it sinks in water.

Guaiacum coulteri is a slow-growing, deciduous tree recognized by its dark, leathery leaves and dense, heavy wood. Its large blue flowers and orange-yellow fruits are quite distinctive in the dry, tropical forests where it thrives. The resilience of guaiacum coulteri is exhibited in its drought tolerance and preference for poor, rocky soils, adaptations perfectly suited for its native arid habitats.