Cordia sebestena

Native from the Florida Keys through the Caribbean and from Mexico to Venezuela, this plant is a slow-growing evergreen tree reaching about thirty feet tall. Its rounded crown carries large, alternate, oval leaves with wavy edges. The dark green upper surfaces feel rough, while the paler undersides are hairy. Orange to orange-red, funnel-shaped flowers form clusters at the branch tips and have five to seven wrinkled lobes. Flowering occurs through much of the year. Egg-shaped, fleshy fruits turn from green to white and contain one to four seeds. The tree grows in sandy or rocky coastal thickets and tolerates salt spray. During prolonged drought, it can shed leaves. Photographed in Barranquilla, Colombia, where it is used as a street tree.