Resources - National Tree Planting
Resources
Click on the videos and resources below for further information about tree planting and access useful articles, guides and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Sowing Seeds
Resetting Fallen Fruit Trees After A Storm / Hurricane.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow us on social media:
Instagram: @es.cayman
Facebook: @Ministry of Environment & Sustainability
LinkedIn: Ministry of Environment and Sustainability
Check out these books:
- Flora of the Cayman Islands by George R. Proctor
- Wild Trees in the Cayman Islands by Fred Burton
- Threatened Plants of the Cayman Islands: Red List by Fred Burton
Check out these blogs:
Reach out to the nursery or organisation that sold you the plant for advice. If you are having pest issues with a fruit tree, contact the Department of Agriculture.
- Check if the tree needs full or partial sunlight, or shade.
- Read up on the root system of the tree, as that will help you understand how much watering the tree will need, and how the roots will behave.
- Ensure the tree’s canopy and roots will not impact any buildings or utility infrastructure (e.g., water pipes, septic tank). Check out CUC’s vegetation guide for tips on ensuring trees do not impact electrical wires.
- Survey your property to locate deep pockets of soil if that is needed for the tree. Cayman is very rocky and some trees will not grow properly or will fall over in a storm if the soil is too shallow.
- Consider the height of the tree at maturity and if this may conflict with existing structures or plans (e.g., could the tree shade a potential garden?).
- If planting more than one tree, consider planting a variety of species to attract different birds, insects, and other wildlife. You will be helping to restore the biodiversity of your backyard ecosystem.
- You can send your query to treeplanting@gov.ky, to the Department of Environment, or the National Trust for the Cayman Islands.
- Search the plant’s common name or species name in the Plants of the World Online database.
- Check out the Virtual Herbarium.
The local native tree market is currently very small. The ability to identify native species and distinguish them from similar species is a special skill that requires special experience and knowledge. Keep this in mind when purchasing trees, and remember to ask for scientific names to check whether the species is native to the Cayman Islands. The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park and Caribbean Blooms are reliable sources for native plants.
For fruit trees, contact the Department of Agriculture to inquire about their stock. Other nurseries that may sell native species and fruit trees include:
- Vigoro
- ProPlus
- Every Bloomin’ Thing
- PowerFlower
- Growing Beauty
- Green Valley Plant Nursery
- Olivia’s Garden
- Cayman Growers
Both scientific and common names are very important but they have different uses. Common names carry with them the history and heritage of a group of people. One species can have multiple common names, and sometimes those names differ based on location or region.
The scientific naming of a species is a systematic and recorded process, resulting in a common language for people around the world to talk about a species. The scientific name of a species is not shared with any other species on the planet, uniquely identifying them based on their relatedness to other species.
In short, when you know the scientific name for a tree, you can more easily determine whether that tree is a native species, or if it is another species that occurs elsewhere.
