Lignum Vitae Tree of Life

A profusion of purple-blue flowers..........the Lignum Vitae trees are in bloom.

All of a sudden after the heavy rains recently, my Lignum Vitae tree has burst into bloom. I then started seeing these beautiful trees in the bush on a recent trip to the grocery store.

Flowers have five purple-blue petals and are a favourite of insects and nectar drinking birds.

The Lignum Vitae is also known as the “tree of life” and ironwood because the wood is incredibly hard and is so dense that it does not float. It is found throughout the Bahamas and in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Lignum vitae wood is exceptionally heavy and was used around the Caribbean for ballast in ships.

The Lignum Vitae had medicinal value and was considered the penicillin of the time. The bark was used as a cathartic, the fruit as a vegetable and the flowers as a laxative. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, the resin (locally called rosin) was collected for boiling in water to make a tea to treat muscle and back strains, particularly for men with lower back problems. Another use was to collect branches several inches in diameter which were honed down into heavy, smooth batons called “conch bruisers”. These were used to tenderise conch before cooking.

Teas prepared from all parts of the lignum tree were used for everything...to treat boils and swollen glands, fevers, aches and pains.

The ‘wood of life’ apparently derives from the tree’s medicinal qualities rather than any physical prowess.

A canopy of blue-purple flowers....beautiful.

Beautiful by nature, the lignum vitae has an honoured place in these islands. Take a look as you travel our roads and you will see a blue-purple haze on certain trees. The tree of life, Guaiacum sanctum or Lignum Vitae is spectacular when it is in bloom.

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

 

 

Lignum Vitae….Tree of Life

The beautiful Lignum Vitae is found throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands

The beautiful Lignum Vitae is found throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands

The other day I noticed a Lignum Vitae just loaded with bright yellow-orange fruits. The fruits are capsule shaped and they split open in September and October to expose black seeds that are enclosed in a fleshy red pulp.

Lignum Vitae translated from Latin means "tree of life" and was used in folk medicine as well as being prized by carpenters.

Lignum Vitae translated from Latin means "tree of life" and was used in folk medicine as well as being prized by carpenters.

Commonly called ironwood, the wood is so dense that it will not float even in seawater. Lignum Vitae is the heaviest and densest wood in the world and will rapidly sink to the bottom when placed in water. It resists rot caused by insects and moisture that lignum vitae wood used as posts for dwellings by Taino Indians have been found. Loyalist settlers also harvested valuable hardwoods from the Caicos bush and exported them to Europe.

When the lignum flowers, the whole tree is laden with beautiful blue-violet blossoms.

When the lignum flowers, the whole tree is laden with beautiful blue-violet blossoms.

The resin has been used for many years, in the treatment of arthritis and other ailments. At one stage it was thought to work both a contraceptive and a treatment for syphilis. Teas have been prepared from various parts of the tree and have been used to treat boils, swollen glands, fevers, aches and pains.

Close up of a colourful seed pod.

Close up of a colourful seed pod.

flowers bloom at different times and is generally because of seasonal rains.

flowers bloom at different times and is generally because of seasonal rains.

What an amazing tree…………even the insects and nectar drinking birds love the nectar of the Lignum Vitae.

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com