Palms are the signature trees of the tropics and may be found in all environments from the wettest highland forests to the driest savannahs and coastal plains.
Since St. Croix is a rather dry tropical island, the Botanical Garden's Palmetum, containing over 65 species, specializes in displaying dry growing palms of the Caribbean and adjacent areas of Central and South America.
The wide variety of leaf shapes and growth forms illustrates the immense diversity within this plant family.
