Geiger Tree
Cordia sebestena
Plant Family: Boraginaceae
Leaves: Alternate, simple, broadly ovate, to 25 cm, dark green above, lighter below, some leaves may be toothed toward the apex; older leaves are rough to the touch, like fine sandpaper.
Bark: Dark gray and fissured, even on young trees; the twigs are green.
Flowers: Orange, with 5 petals, in terminal clusters, quite distinctive, they are attractive to hummingbirds; usually spring to summer, also at other times of the year.
Fruits: A green pear-shaped drupe that ripens to white, with a blunt-pointed apex, to about 4 cm long; reported as edible, but not that palatable; summer to fall.
Habitat: Hammock edges of the Keys; Geiger Tree is not common, although there is a fine station at Bahia Honda State Park, and it is widely planted as an ornamental on the Keys.
Growth Form: Small tree.
Similar Species: Rough Velvetseed (Guettarda scabra) also has rough textured leaves, but they are opposite along the stem. The orange flowers of Gieger Tree, if present, allow for easy identification.
Comments: The common name honors John Geiger, a nineteenth century Key West ship captain, and was bestowed by none other than the famous John James Audubon, who encountered the tree while painting the birds of the Keys.
