Rubiaceae FAMILY
Guettarda speciosa
Guettarda speciosa
Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
1/5
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthMedium
Prefers a well-drained soil and a position in full sun or bright shade[1]. Established plants are moderately drought tolerant[1]. They are very tolerant of salt-laden winds[1]. Plants will often flower all year round[1]. The flowers open in the evening and fall to the ground before morning[2]. The flowers are pollinated by moths[3]. This species is the national flower of the Marshall Islands[4].
Propagation
Seed - Cuttings. Layering. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Guettarda+speciosa>
Pollinators
Moths
References
- [1]Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. — Barwick. M. · Thames & Hudson, London · 2004 · ISBN 0-500-51181-0 ↩︎A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.
- [2]The Useful Plants of the Island of Guam — Safford W.E. · Smithsonian Institute; Washington. · 1905 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A very comprehensive, if rather dated, guide to the plants of Guam. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [3]Plants of Guam — Moore P.H. & McMakin P. · University of Guam. · 1979 · http://university.uog.edu/cals/people/POG/scipn.htm ↩︎Brief details, usually with a photo, of plants native to the island of Guam, often together with some information on their uses. An online version is available.
- [4]Agroforestry in the Pacific Islands: Systems for Sustainability — W.C. Clarke and R.R. Thaman (Editors) · United Nations University Press, Tokyo · 1993 · http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80824e/80824E00.htm#Contents · ISBN 92-808-0824-9 ↩︎The guide includes information on 100 species of plants for Agroforestry. It is also available on the web at the address given above.