Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest

By: Orion Kendra

COFFEE•The coffee tree is a shrub with a straight trunk, which can survive for about 50 to 70 years. •The flowers are white with 5 or 6 petals.•Coffee plants grow naturally under the shade of tall trees.•When grown in the tropics, coffee is a bush or small tree that usually grows to a height of 10–12 feet. •Most commonly cultivated coffee species grow best at high places, but will die in freezing temperatures.

Banana tree•After a year they reach a height of 10-20 feet tall.•Bananas are mostly in the tropical places of India, Southeast Asia and northern Australia.•Banana plants grow in the humid, tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia where there are high temperatures and rainfall.•Because banana plants are approximately 93 percent water, even moderate winds can knock them down.

Umbrella Tree•The Umbrella tree usually grows as a climber on other trees in the rainforest, monsoon forest and sometimes woodlands of tropical Australia and New Guinea.•The Umbrella Tree is commonly grown in mild to warm climates. •When mature, it has bright red spikes of flowers with up to 20 racemes which develop in summer or early autumn. •The Umbrella needs to have Sun to Partial Shade to grow.

Orchids•Orchids grow on rocks, in the soil, underground and on other plants and trees, relying on certain insects or birds for pollination.•Orchids are extremely adaptable, and grow in almost all climates except for frigid and arid extremes.•Because most orchids depend on a single species of bird, bee or other insect for pollination, if that species is eliminated, the orchid that depends on that species becomes threatened by extinction.

Açaí Palm•The açaí palm can be found throughout much of Central America and northern South America.• It takes 4 – 5 years before it begins to produce fruit.•It can grow up to 100 feet tall.•It spreads its seeds by having birds eat the seeds then pooping them out.•It likes shade.

Brazil Nut Tree•The Brazil nut tree is mostly found in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil.•Brazil nut trees are sensitive to where they are, and only seem to produce fruit in a undisturbed forest. •The tree grows best in non-flooding areas of the moist lowland rainforest•They grow in sunny areas.

Sapodilla•Some Bats eat these plants and poop their seeds out which grows a new tree. •The sapodilla tree is native to southern Mexico, Belize and northeastern Guatemala. •The Sapodilla Tree can grow to the height of 100 feet.•It cannot survive freezing temperatures.•Best grown in full sun.•It is quite resistant to strong winds. The tree is highly drought-resistant and quite a degree of soil salinity [ECE 14.20].

Poinsettia•The poinsettia is found in Central America in temperate climates.•In the wild it can grow up to 15 feet tall.•This plant needs shade and blooms during short days.•It needs low to moderate rainfall•The plant contains esters, which is an irritant.•The flower color attracts pollinators.

Bromeliad•The bromeliad has ability to absorb nutrients from air.•It has bucket like leaves to catch rainfall.•Leaves fall into the bucket then decompose making food for bugs.•Some grow on trees.•They are sometimes called air plants.

Kapok Tree•The Kapok tree can reach up to 200 feet tall.•It sheds leaves and seeds. The seeds get caught by the wind and scatter.•The tree emits a odor that can attract bats to pollinate the tree.•The tree is home to many frogs, birds, bugs, and bats.•It needs sunlight to grow.

References

• http://www.Biomweb.uwlax.edu• http://www.rainforest-alliance.org• https://www.wikipedia.org• http://www.ecorazzi.com/2012/02/08/ten-

amazing-rainforest-plants/• All other references can be found on my

web page.