This evergreen tree is the Autograph Tree, Clusia rosea. It is native to the Caribbean, including the Virgin Islands, as well as parts of Florida, Mexico and Central America.

The common name comes from its thick, leathery leaves. Their surfaces can be scratched with a fingernail or another pointed object, and the marks remain visible as the leaf heals—almost as though someone had written an autograph on it. Of course, in a botanical garden, we admire that feature without actually writing on the leaves.

Those heavy, waxy leaves help the tree conserve water and tolerate bright sun, salt spray and exposed coastal conditions. They grow in opposite pairs and may remind you more of the leaves of a succulent than those of a typical tree.

The flowers are large and attractive, with thick white or pale-pink petals surrounding a pink or reddish center. Male and female flowers are generally produced on separate trees, so a tree may flower without producing fruit unless a tree of the opposite sex is growing nearby.

After pollination, the female tree produces a rounded green fruit. As it matures, the fruit turns brown and splits open into several sections, revealing bright red or orange tissue surrounding numerous seeds. Birds feed on this material and help disperse the seeds.

Autograph Trees sometimes begin life as epiphytes, germinating on the branch of another tree rather than in the ground. Their roots grow downward until they reach the soil and may eventually surround the supporting tree. This growth habit is why Clusia rosea is sometimes described as a strangler, although many specimens also begin life normally in the ground.

If a leaf or branch is damaged, the plant releases a thick, sticky sap. That resinous sap gives rise to another common name, Pitch Apple.

The Autograph Tree is easy to recognize once you know its combination of thick paired leaves, showy flowers and unusual fruit. It is also a particularly good example of how Caribbean plants adapt to strong sunlight, drying winds and salty coastal environments.