Guaiacum officinale

Native from Florida through the Caribbean and from Panama to Venezuela and Peru, this plant is a compact tree with a dense, rounded crown. It commonly grows in dry West Indian woodlands. Blue flowers are followed by orange-yellow fruit capsules. Its exceptionally heavy wood sinks in water and has been used for ship propeller-shaft bearings, pulleys, mallets and mortars. The species is the national flower of Jamaica. It is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and its international trade is controlled under CITES Appendix II. Photographed in Barranquilla, Colombia.