This aromatic Caribbean tree is the Wild Cinnamon, Canella winterana.

Despite its common name, it is not the same plant as the true cinnamon used in cooking. However, its bark and leaves release a warm, spicy fragrance when crushed, which explains the comparison.

The leaves are simple, thick, glossy, and deep green. Their leathery texture helps the tree tolerate heat, strong sunlight, wind, salt spray, and seasonal drought.

Its flowers are small but attractive, with reddish-purple petals surrounding bright yellow stamens. They appear in clusters and are followed by rounded berries that change from green to red or dark purple as they mature.

Birds eat the fruits and help disperse the seeds.

Wild Cinnamon is native to Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and nearby tropical regions. It usually grows as a shrub or small tree in dry coastal forests and limestone habitats.

The aromatic bark was once used as a spice and in traditional remedies, but it is much stronger and more bitter than true cinnamon.

This tree may not have the dramatic flowers of some tropical ornamentals, but its glossy foliage, colorful berries, and unmistakable spicy fragrance make it a distinctive part of the native Caribbean landscape.