This rare Puerto Rican tree is Woodbury’s Stopper, Eugenia woodburyana.

It usually grows as an evergreen shrub or small tree, with smooth, leathery leaves arranged in opposite pairs. Like many members of the myrtle family, its leaves may release a mild aromatic scent when crushed.

The flowers are small and white, with many delicate stamens spreading outward from the center. After pollination, they develop into rounded, fleshy fruits that ripen from green to red or dark purple. Birds may eat the fruit and help disperse the seeds.

Woodbury’s Stopper is found naturally only in southern Puerto Rico, where it grows in dry forest and limestone habitats. Its very limited range made it especially vulnerable to habitat loss, development, fire, and severe storms.

The species was federally listed as endangered in 1994, when only a few dozen individuals were known. Following the discovery of additional populations and conservation work, it was reclassified as threatened in 2023—but it remains a rare and protected tree.

Its name honors the botanist Roy O. Woodbury, who made major contributions to the study of Puerto Rico’s plants.

Woodbury’s Stopper may not be immediately dramatic, but its rarity makes it one of the most important conservation trees in the Garden—a species whose survival still depends on careful protection.