Plants and Trees

There are 415 taxa (Species and Varieties) of plant believed to be truly native to the Cayman Islands. These are the plants which formed the original, ancient flora of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.

Over the two to three million years between the Cayman Islands’ most recent emergence from the sea, and the arrival of humans, 29 species and varieties of plant had evolved to local conditions to such a degree, they are now regarded as unique (endemic) to the Cayman Islands. These are plants which, should they be lost from the Cayman Islands, will be lost from the world.

The majority of the Cayman Islands native plants are exquisitely adapted to the dry forests, shrublands, and wetlands in which they have evolved. Many are incapable of surviving naturally outside these complex natural communities.

Yet the Caymanian landscape is being subjected to large scale deforestation. Human land uses ranging from housing and roads to golf courses and quarries, are displacing natural forests, shrublands and wetlands at an accelerating rate. By 1998 Grand Cayman was already 37% deforested. Cayman Brac was close behind at 26% deforestation. Even Little Cayman, with its far smaller human population, had suffered 19% loss of its natural vegetation cover.

The deforestation of the Cayman Islands is ongoing, and appears to be accelerating. As a result, at least 46% of the Cayman Islands native plants are now threatened with extinction.”

Burton, F. J. – “Threatened Plants of the Cayman Islands – A Red List Assessment”
Pub. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (due end 2007)
Full-colour guide to the endemic and threatened plants of the Cayman Islands

 » Cayman Islands Red List
 » Native Tree Nursery
 » Orchid Society Conservation Programmes
 » Redlist
 » Wild Trees in the Cayman Islands