# Paradise Tree (*Simarouba glauca*)

The Paradise Tree is a tall and beautiful tree that grows in warm places. It has shiny green leaves and can produce small fruits that are loved by birds and other animals.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Tropical forests

![Paradise Tree](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Simarouba_glauca.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Simarouba_glauca.jpg)

## Appearance

The Paradise Tree is a tall, stately tree with a straight trunk and a dense, rounded crown. It has bright green, pinnate leaves and small, yellowish-white flowers that develop into distinctive oval, purplish-black fruits.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Sapindales
- **Family:** Simaroubaceae
- **Genus:** Simarouba

## Interesting facts

- Even its bitter fruit pulp can be used to make natural insect repellents!
- Indigenous people have long used its bark to create traditional medicines.
- Its seeds yield a special oil once prized as "botanical olive oil"!
- The wood of this tree is very durable and naturally resistant to pests!

## Special abilities

- **Drought Survivor:** Paradise Tree can thrive in dry conditions because its deep roots tap into underground water sources, helping it survive droughts.
- **Seed Spreader:** Paradise Tree has brightly colored fruits that attract birds, helping it scatter its seeds far and wide to grow new trees.
- **Natural Protector:** Paradise Tree can produce bitter compounds in its bark and leaves, which deter hungry herbivores and pests.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 1500-2000 cm
- **Spread:** 500-1000 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late Winter to Spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Clay-colored Thrush (*Turdus grayi*) — disperses seeds by eating fruit
- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar from flowers
- **Shelter:** Virginia Opossum (*Didelphis virginiana*) — rests in its branches
- **Pollinates:** Bananaquit (*Coereba flaveola*) — sips nectar from flowers

## Traits

- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Fruit Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-tree): A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Giant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/giant): Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always be careful around trees and watch where you step.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Paradise Tree?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Paradise Tree?

1500-2000 cm

### How wide does Paradise Tree spread?

500-1000 cm

### How big are the flowers on Paradise Tree?

0.5-1 cm

### When does Paradise Tree bloom?

Late Winter to Spring

### Is Paradise Tree edible?

No

### Is Paradise Tree toxic?

Mild

### What is Paradise Tree's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Paradise Tree: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/paradise-tree)