By Michelle Domocol @inflourish_
Back to Inflourish: Cebu Blog
Local parklands in Cebu and Southeast Asia are cradles of botanic inspiration. Often, well-designed parks use regionally native or locally endemic trees and shrubs. Depending on the availability of their seedlings in public nurseries, you could use a few of these same trees or shrubs in your garden. They can be a spectacular eye-catching feature or hedge in your own gardens. Regionally native, indigenous, or locally endemic refers to a plant’s genetic origin and natural geographic distribution. In the scientific community, these terms have slight technical differences. Among some foresters, park managers, and horticulturists, these terms can be interchangeable. Native or Endemic can mean a plant originally grew in the coasts, forests, riverbanks, or other ecological niches in Cebu. Or maybe the plant was originally found throughout the mangroves or rainforests of the Philippines. Local, Native, or Endemic can also mean the plant naturally grows in Maritime Southeast Asian countries like Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
REMEMBER: make sure you have the time, water, and soil type to help your native plant thrive. For instance, you can buy the most locally native vine from Cebu’s uplands. But if it’s neglected and left unwatered on your concrete patio, the stressed vine may shrivel and die.
Be curious and inspired. Visit the lush splendor of local parks in Cebu and venture to the rest of Southeast Asia.
In general, choosing locally or regionally native trees and shrubs creates a strong, adaptable landscape. A combination of native plants function well with local climate and rain availability. As a result, they need less growing assistance from additional fertilizers or pesticides. When the trees or shrubs are well-established, local birds, bees, butterflies and beneficial pollinators can use these plants as a source of nectar and shelter. Often, the fallen leaves and roots of regionally endemic plants naturally mulch and enrich the soil’s health. Depending on the particularly adaptive species, they can have additional qualities like drought-resistance and wind-resilience. With a bit of research and a fun search through local parks, you can find extremely gifted trees and shrubs.
The examples below are popular regionally and locally endemic species suited to Cebu’s climate. They are best planted in the rainy season so they start out with a moderate amount of water and sun. Plants in this list also flourish in other islands of the Philippines and Southeast Asian countries.
- PALMS & RATTAN TREES:
- A- Arenga pinnata
- B– Adonidia merrilli
- C- Calamus erinaceus
- D- Calamus javaensis
- E- Caryota mitis
- F- Oncosperma horridum
- EVERGREEN & FLORAL TREES:
- G- Aporosa benthamiana
- H- Aporosa frutescens
- I- Commersonia bartramia
- J- Cratoxylum cochinchinense
- K- Dillenia excelsa
- L- Dillenia philippinensis
- EVERGREEN & FLORAL TREES:
- M- Diospyros buxifolia
- N- Diospyros diepenhorstii
- O- Syzygium zeylanicum
- P- Syzygium incarnatum
- Q- Syzygium antisepticum
- R- Sterculia foetida
- EVERGREEN & FLORAL TREES:
- S- Sterculia macrophylla
- T- Sterculia oblongata
- U- Elaeocarpus grandiflorus
- V- Elaeocarpus pedunculatus
- W- Elaeocarpus petiolatus
Plant Photos: WikiMedia Images, NParks Singapore, Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines; Design Illustrations: Michelle Domocol
