Plant Diversity

• Trees, woody shrubs, plants and flowers grow thickly in the tropical dry forest, creating a diverse collection of greenery. The plants of the tropical dry forest thrive in hot weather with very little rainfall and no cold weather or frost. A single square mile of the tropical dry forest contains hundreds of different plant species, including trees, plants and flowers. The tropical dry forest is also home to a wide variety of animal life.
  
  

Trees

• More than 100 different species of trees may be found in a single square mile of the tropical dry forest. The trees grow from 80 to 100 feet high, usually with dark, evergreen foliage. Indio Desnuda and acacias are among the species of trees commonly found in the tropical dry forest.
  
  

Flowers and Brush

• Beneath the thick canopy of green created by the trees, many plants and flowers thrive closer to the ground. Succulent plants, such as cacti and agave, thrive in the tropical dry forest. Like desert plants, the plants in the forest develop very thick, large root systems to efficiently gather as much moisture as possible. Lotuses, ironwood, orchids, vines, ferns, mosses and palm plants are all found within the tropical dry forest.
  
  

Indigenous Plants

• Hibiscus trees are native to tropical dry forests. Trees native to Hawaiian tropical dry forests include Kokia cookei, Santalum paniculatum, Caesalpinia and the rare Gouania. Mamane trees grow only in dry forests. The New Caledonian tropical dry forest of France is home to a host of indigenous plants, including the Gardenia urvillei and Pittosporum pancheri flowers. Oryza neocalidonea wild rice is also found in the tropical dry forest.