Lignumvitae
Guaiacum sanctum
For the second week in a roll I’m featuring a tree with blue flowers. Like I said, they are rare in nature. The Lignumvitae is an extremely slow-growing native tree. Lignumvitae trees are uncommon in the landscape due to the slow growth, not being widely available commercially and can be expensive when compared to other trees. While one article I read mentioned they can mature at 30-40 feet tall, the largest specimens I’ve seen in landscapes are about 12-15 feet tall. After the 9-11 attacks, I used the Lignumvitae (Tree of Life) as a memorial tree for the victims. You can find one near the south side entrance of Fort Lauderdale City Hall and one in Colee Hammock Park (1500 Brickell Drive). There is also a very nice specimen in the native garden at Esplanade Park across from the Museum of Discovery and Science. Pictured below is the Colee Hammock Park Lignumvitae in bloom. I took that photo on April 26, 2013.
In the Florida Keys, there is Lignumvitae Key Bontanical State Park that has many naturally occurring Lignumvitae trees. The oldest one is estimated to be 1500 years old and if I remember right, it’s only about 20 feet tall and 8 inches in diameter. The park is a wonderful place to visit but you do have to take a boat to get there. I believe the State still offers boat tours to the key.
Guaiacum sanctum is the national tree of the Bahamas and Guaiacum officinale, also known as Lignumvitae, is the national tree of Jamaica. Lignumvitae is a great medium for carvings. Lignumvitae wood was used in the past to make ball bearings because its extremely high resin content makes it self-lubricating. Another place that Lignumvitae were used was in United States courtrooms, where the judge's gavel was traditionally made from this fine wood.
The Lignumvitae would make a great addition to almost anyone’s landscape!
Growth Rate – Extremely slow
Salt Tolerance – High
Drought Tolerance – High
Colee Hammock Park Lignumvitae Lignumvitae seedpods
Example of form Lignumvitae Flower
Gene Dempsey, City Forester
Office of Sustainability
Office - (954) 828-5785 Fax - (954) 828-4745
