Have you ever wondered about the flowers you see in the Caribbean? Here are some of our favorite Common Caribbean Flowering Plants found in St Maarten / Sint Martin. Click on the table headings to sort, or click on the image thumbnail to enlarge. More on Caribbean wildflower and pollinator gardens can be found HERE.
| Photo | Common Name | Species | Color | Notes | Status | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mexican Petunia | Ruellia simplex | Purple | Native to the Antilles, attracts butterflies, Invasive elsewhere. | Native | Herbaceous perennial |
 | Wild Arugula | Diplotaxis tenuifolia | Yellow | Attracts bees and butterflies. Edible leaves. Native to Europe and Western Asia. | Herb | |
 | Allamanda, Purple Allamanda | Allamanda | Purple (also Yellow) | Native to the Americas. Contains a white latex. Grow rapidly, salt intolerant. | Native | Vine, Shrub |
 | Bougainvillea | Pink, white, orange (Varies) | Ornamental - drought resistant. | Evergreen Vine | ||
 | Coreopsis | Coreopsis lanceolata | Yellow | Attracts bees and butterflies. Native to Eastern and Central US. Considered invasive in some countries. | Herbaceous perennial | |
 | Flamboyant, Flame Tree, Royal Poinciana | Delonix regia | Red (also orange, yellow) | Native to Madagascar. Tolerates drought and salty soil. Flowers in the summer. Sheds leaves during drought. | Tree: 15 - 40 feet |
|
 | Largeleaf Geigertree, Scarlet Cordia | Cordia sebestena | Orange | Native to Central American and the Greater Antilles. Fruit is possibly edible, although flavorless. | Native | Tree: 25-30 feet |
 | Petrea | Petrea | Purple | Native to Mexico and Central America. Attracts bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Drought tolerant. | Evergreen Vine | |
 | Sweet Potato | Ipomoea batatas | Purple | Native to the Americas. Vine with edible young leaves (prepare and cook like spinach) and tuberous roots. Vulnerable to whitefly and iguana. | Vine | |
 | Ramgoat Dashalong, Cuban Buttercup, Yellow Alder | Turnera ulmifolia | Yellow | Native to Mexico and West Indies. Attracts bees and butterflies. Hardy, drought resistant, grows like a weed! | Native | Shrub: <3 feet |
 | Spiral Ginger | Costus | Red (also pink) | Native to tropical Africa, Asia, Americas | Tropical | |
 | Indian Blanket | Gaillardia pulchella | Orange (red to orange to yellow) | Native to North America | Herbaceous annual | |
 | Asystasia | Asystasia gangetica | Purple | Native to old world tropics, Naturalized in tropical Americas. Bees, particularly bumble bees, love the flowers. | Herbaceous (spreading), Ground Cover | |
 | Indian Tulip Tree, Pacific Rosewood, Portia tree | Thespesia populnea | Yellow (old flowers turn orange) | Native to Hawaii. Grows well in windy salty environments. Drought tolerant. Wood is used to make furniture. | Tree: 30 - 50 feet |
|
 | Silver Trumpet Tree | Tabebuia caraiba | Yellow | Native to South America. Soft wood susceptible to wind damage. Very easy to grow. Blooms prolifically. | Tree: 20 - 40 feet |
|
 | Periwinkle, Vinca | Catharanthus (formally vinca) | White (also pink, purple) | Native to Madagascar. Grows (and reseeds) easily in most of the Caribbean. Occasionally susceptible to aphids. | Herbaceous perennial | |
 | Parakeet Flower | Heliconia psittacorum | Orange (with yellow and pink) | Native to Caribbean and South America. Likes well watered semi-shade to full sun. Flowers and leaves make attractive flower arrangements. | Native | Herbaceous perennial |
| Milkweed, Roostertree, Rubber Bush, Apple of Sodom | Calotropis procera | Purple (white center to purple tips) | Native to Tropical Africa. Toxic latex sap. Useful durable fiber for ropes. Attracts bees and monarch butterflies. Indicator of exhausted soils. | Tree | ||
 | Thorn Tree, Acacia, Fever Tree | Vachellia | Yellow | Formerly considered part of the genus acacia. Native to Sub Saharan Africa. Invasive | Invasive | Tree / Shrub |
 | Palay Rubbervine | Cryptostegia grandiflora | Purple | Native to south-west Madagascar. Invasive in many areas. | Invasive | Woody Perennial Vine |
 | Galphimia | Galphimia gracilis | Yellow | Native to eastern Mexico. A bumblebee favorite! | Herbaceous perennial |
