This native tree is Raw Bone, Morisonia flexuosa.

It often grows as a shrub or small tree, although its long, flexible branches may spread through nearby vegetation and give it a somewhat scrambling appearance. The species name flexuosa refers to those bending or zigzagging branches.

The leaves are simple, smooth, and leathery, helping the plant withstand strong sunlight, wind, and periods of dry weather.

Its flowers are among its most interesting features. They have narrow, pale petals surrounding a large cluster of long white stamens. The flowers often open in the evening and produce a strong fragrance that attracts moths and other nighttime pollinators.

After pollination, the tree develops long, narrow fruits that hang from the branches. As they mature, the fruits split open and reveal seeds surrounded by bright reddish-orange flesh. Birds are attracted to the colorful seeds and help disperse them.

Raw Bone is native across tropical and subtropical America, including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and much of the Caribbean. It was previously widely known as Cynophalla flexuosa or Capparis flexuosa, but Morisonia flexuosa is now accepted by Kew’s Plants of the World Online.

It may not be one of the Garden’s most dramatic trees at first glance, but its night-blooming flowers and brightly displayed seeds make it an important plant for both pollinators and birds.