This view is from the Shiggidy Shack restaurant/fun spot on the Caribbean side of St. Kitts. We were intrigued by the cactus growing out of the top of this rocky formation. (Click on image to enlarge.)
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Three weeks ago I was more excited than I am now about these St. Kitts plant life photos. Some aren’t in the best of focus, and some of the plants can be found in Iowa (at least at Reiman Gardens on the Iowa State campus!). Post them, I will.
Any identification of the plants is a result of conversations with St. Kitts guides/residents. Hopefully everything is accurate. I’m still waiting to learn from someone on Nevis (near St. Kitts) the identification of the cotton-like tree, and also the plant with prickles (or thorns) that can cut skin.
If you want to enlarge any of the photos below, click on a thumbnail. To enlarge more, click on “Permalink.” Sometimes clicking another time will enlarge even further.
I’ve got one St. Kitts post yet to go. It will include miscellaneous photos. Then onward and forward to other topics.
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- Cactus growing at the top of rock formation
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- Bouganvillia
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- Rain forest
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- Saman Tree – 400 years old (or 350, depending upon who you talk with)
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- Coconut Tree
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- White Plumeria – Frangipani, cactus
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- Bottle Tree ; )
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- Bottle Tree ; )
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- Poinsettia
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- African Tulip Tree – Spathodea campanulata
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- Ti Plant – Cordyline terminalis
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- Red Ginger – Alpinia purpurata
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- Alpinia zerumbet – Shell Ginger
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- The white clumps on this tree look like (and were called buy our guide) cotton.
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- Mango Tree
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- Running fingers “against the grain” will result in cuts from the little prickly one-direction growths on this stem. Going the other direction, the growths lay flat and do not cut the skin. So I’ve been told. I hope to learn the name of this plant.
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- Running fingers “against the grain” will result in cuts from the little prickly one-direction growths on this stem. Going the other direction, the growths lay flat and do not cut the skin. So I’ve been told. I hope to learn the name of this plant.
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- Running fingers “against the grain” will result in cuts from the little prickly one-direction growths on this stem. Going the other direction, the growths lay flat and do not cut the skin. So I’ve been told. I hope to learn the name of this plant.
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- Cashew Nut Tree
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- Hibiscus
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- Firecracker Plant – Russelia Equisetiformis
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- Crown of Thorns – Euphorbia milii
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- Cat’s Tail or Chenille and Angel’s Trumpet or Gabriel’s Trumpet
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- Cat’s Tail or Chenille
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- Land and water
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- In the distance are melons w/ plastic for weed control. Also included are men working and cows.
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- With Pink Flowers: Mexican Creeper Vine or Coral Vine or San Miguelito Vine – Antigonon Leptopus
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- Our guide said this is the “male flower of the banana plant.”
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- Banana Tree
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- Ackee – Poisonous until fruit opens naturally.
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- Breadnut Tree
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- Breadfruit – Artocarpus altilis
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- Bay Laurel
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- Papaya Tree
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- Heliconia
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- Heliconia
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For “St. Kitts — Part I” click here.
For “St. Kitts — Part II: Vervet Monkeys” click here.
For “St. Kitts — Part III: Lobster” click here.
For “St. Kitts — Part IV: Caribelle Batik at Romney Manor” click here.
For “St. Kitts — Part V: Mr X’s Shiggidy Shack” click here.
For “St. Kitts — Part VI: Brimstone Hill Fortress” click here.
For “St. Kitts — Part VII: The Beach(es)” click here.
For “St. Kitts — Part VIII: Plant Life” click here.
For “St. Kitts — Part IX: Miscellaneous” click here.
(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)
Marion Gunderson Art (and the Farmer's Daughter) 
March 21, 2012 at 12:48 pm |
Have only quick scrolled through the thumbnails so far. Wow! BEAUTIFUL!
March 21, 2012 at 1:20 pm |
Nice! Thanks for posting them. Never seen an angel trumpet tree so large. I’m sure I’d be lost among all the tropical plants if I was around them – though some I recognize from the ISU greenhouses. Among my favorites are the cactus from shiggidy shack, the heliconia (nice pic!), the breadnut tree, cashews (I was eating cashews recently and wanting to see a picture of how they grew), the hibiscus, and I didn’t realize how the bottles grew!
March 24, 2012 at 8:36 am |
The top photo is so beautiful – and all the different plants so interesting. My favorite is the bottle tree!
September 13, 2012 at 8:58 pm |
Hello. I’d like to know if I may have permission to use your photo Crown of Thorns for my book cover design.
I am currently in the publishing process.
Thank you.
Pamela Fender