Traveller's tree

Salisi, Balete, Benjamin's fig

Ficus benjamina
Moraceae

Stragging medium-size tree that grows to 15 m high. The leaves are glossy, 6 to 10 cm long. The figs are dark purple and 1 cm in diameter. It is a native of India, Malaya and the Philippines, where it is widley distributed. It is planted as a shade or ornamental tree. Balete is a generic name for many Ficus species.

It is widely planted in Alabang Hills, often pruned into various shapes.

Tibig

Small tree that grows to 8 m high. The leaves are irregularly toothed. The fruits are borne in large dense clusters along the stem and large branches, and measure 2 to 3.5 cm in diameter. It is indigenous to North Borneo and the Philippines, where it is widespread.

Thailand shower

Thailand shower, kassod tree, Siamese tree, Siamese acacia

Cassia siamea (syn. Senna siamea)
Leguminoseae

Tree that grows to 15 m high. The leaves are compound, 30 cm long, with 7 to 15 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are 3 to 7 cm long, dark green above, pale green below. Notice the small spike at the end of the leaflet (below). The flowers are yellow and cluster at the end of branches. The pods are flat, narrow and 20 to 30 cm long. indigenous to Burma and Thailand. Planted as an ornamental tree in the Philippines.

Talisay

Talisay, Indian almond

Terminalia catappa
Combretaceae

Large tree which grows to 25 m with branches spreading horizontally. The leaves are spirally arranged, to 30 cm long and turn red before falling. The small flowers grow on short spikes. The fruit is like an almond with an edible kernel. Indigenous to India, Malaysian Peninsula and the Philippines. Widely planted for its shade.

Spindle palm

Spindle palm

Hyophorbe verschaffeltii
Palmae

Solitary palm that grows up to 7 m in height. The crown is similar to that of the Champagne palm but the trunk is longer with a prominent bulge in the middle. A native of Rodriguez Island in Mauritius, it was recently introduced to the Philippines as an ornamental and is planted in some parks and gardens.

Saraca tree

Saraca tree, Sorrowless tree

Saraca indica
Leguminosae

Small tree that grows to 10 m tall. The leaves are compounded, with leaflets to 22 cm long. The flowers are orange or red and fragrant at night. The pods are up to 25 cm long. It is a native of the Malay Peninsula. It was introduced to India where it is considered a sacred tree. It was also introduced to the Philippines as ornamental.

Sampalok

Sampalok, Tamarind

Tamarindus indica
Leguminosae
Large tree that grows to 25 m. The leaves are compound, to 10 cm long, with 10 to 20 pairs of leaflets. The flowers are small, yellow with pink stripes. The pods are brown, hanging, rounded with a few seeds. The seeds are surrounded by a sweetish edible pulp. Probably a native of Africa, it was introduced in early times and is widely cultivated in the Philippines.The name comes from the Arabic Tamar-Hindu, or Indian date.

Santol

Santol

Sandoricum koetjape
Meliaceae

A tree that grows to a height of 20 m. The leaves are compound, with 3 large leaflets up to 25 cm, and a long stalk. They turn red before falling. The flowers are small and greenish yellow. The fruit is round, yellowish, edible, and up to 8 cm in diameter. Indigenous to India, Malaya and Indonesia, it was introduced in the Philippines at an early date. It is widely cultivated throughout the country.

Royal palm

Royal palm

Roystonea regia
Palmae

A stately palm that grows to a height of 30 m. The trunk is clean with light leaf scars, white, and swollen in the middle. The leaves are 3 m long and carried in a graceful, rounded crown, with a long and shiny green sheath. The fruits are oblong, 1.3 cm long and blue-violet when ripe. It is a native of Cuba where it is abundant, and is widely planted as an ornamental in the tropics including the Philippines.

Royal palms are planted in some gardens and roadsides in Alabang Hills, most notably at the corners of Bacolod with Doña Annie and with Cagayan de Oro.

Red palm

Red palm, Lipstick palm, Rajah palm

Cyrtostachys renda
Palmae

Clustering palm that grows to about 7 m tall. The leaf base and stem are bright red and showy. The fruits are about 18 mm long and black when ripe. A native of the Malay Peninsula, it was introduced in the Philippines probably after the Second World War, and is now widely cultivated in gardens.

Red gum tree

Red gum tree, Blue gum, Gray gum

Eucalyptus tereticornis
Myrtaceae

Medium-size tree, with bark that peels in thin layers. The leaves are to 25 cm long, and sickle-shaped. Flowers are small and white. Similar to the much more common A native to Australia, it is sometimes planted in parks in Manila and Baguio, and as a reforestation species in the Philippines, but is not common.

Rambutan

Rambutan

Nephelium nappaceum
Sapindaceae

Small to medium tree that grows to 15 m in height. The leaves are compounded and the leaflets to 20 cm long. The flowers are small, pale green, and fragrant. The fruit is up to 5 cm in diameter, covered with thick, coarse, wavy hair, red when ripe, with a juicy edible pulp. It is indigenous to South East Asia including the Philippines, and Southern China.

Pygmy date palm

Pygmy date palm

Phoenix roebelenii
Palmae

Slender solitary palm that can grow up to 5 m tall. The trunk has persistent spirally-arranged leaf scars. The leaves are up to 1.2 m long and dark green. The flowers are small and yellowish, and the fruit is edible and resembles a small date 1 cm long. A native of Laos, it was recently introduced to the Philippines and is now a popular ornamental.

Podocarpus

Podocarpus, Buddhist pine

Podocarpus macrophyllus
Podocarpaceae

Medium-sized tree that grows to 20 m tall. A native to China introduced to the Philippines after the Second World War, it is now common in parks and gardens. The name Buddhist pine is a misnomer as it is not a pine.

Papaya

Papaya

Carica papaya
Caricaceae

Small tree that can grow to a height of 10 m. Leaves are large with a long stem. The flowers are white, with the male and female flowers on different trees. The fruit is large, fleshy and edible. It is well known and needs no introduction. A native of tropical America introduced during the early Spanish period, now widespread in the tropics.

Palomaria

Palomaria, Bitaog, Dankalan

Calophyllum inophyllum
Guttiferae

Medium-sized tree to 20 m tall. The leaves are elliptic and up to 20 cm long. The flowers are white and fragrant. The fruit is round, 4 cm in diameter. Indigenous to India Madagascar, South Asia and Polynesia. Widely distributed along the seashore in the Philippines, and sometimes planted along roadsides.

Palmetto palm

Palmetto palm

Sabal palmetto
Palmae

The Palmetto palm grows to a height of 20 m, with a normally clean trunk, although in some individuals the leaf stems remain on the trunk. The leaves are palmate, with stems up to 2 m long. The flowers are yellowish-white and the fruits are black, about 1 cm long. It is indigenous to the South Eastern United States, Cuba and the Bahamas. It was introduced in the Philippines but is not common.

Palmera

Palmera, Butterfly palm

Chrysalidocarpus lutescens
Palmae

A slender, clustering palm that can grow to a height of 10 m. The graceful leaves are bright green to yellow-green, and 2 m long. The flowers are small and white, the fruits are red to violet-black. It is a native of Madagascar. It was introduced in the Philippines in the early 20th century and is now widespread in parks and gardens. It is also a popular indoors plant.