The natural life of the Caribbean is truly spectacular. Your hotel garden may be neatly trained lushness, but beyond the boundary some of the islands are mind-bogglingly fertile. Rainforests are rampant. Green Hell, it used to be called. In the Caribbean things grow at three times the rate they do in the temperate zones. A gardener’s most useful tool is their machete.

And the plants are exotic as well. There are trees that bloom in an all-over shroud of yellow or red. There are hundreds of varieties of palms. There are orchids of incredible intricacy. Other flowers carry names such as lobster-claw and bird of paradise. There’s even one, a particularly poisonous looking, snake-like plant, called mother-in-law’s tongue. It is always worth talking to hotel gardeners. See a general article about Caribbean gardens and flowers.

Most islands offer opportunities to explore tropical flora, suitable for any level of interest. It is well worth it even if you don’t have that much interest in flora at home. Many islands have botanical gardens, and these are well worth a visit (see a story about the Plant Hunters of the Eighteenth Century, but for the devotee some islands have open (private) garden programmes.

Another extraordinary facet of Caribbean flora is a whole fascinating tradition of medicinal and other uses for local plants. Many islands have qualified guides who will bring this all to life, usually on a hike into the local forest.

To read about FLORA & GARDENS by island, please select from the island list below: