While exotic birds, colorful corals, and elusive animals get much attention from visitors to this wildly robust and ecologically diverse Central American country, Belize’s beautiful botanical treasures shouldn’t be forgotten. With a sub-tropical climate and many days of sunshine, a profusion of pretty petals can be found in bloom throughout the year. Here are some of the most beautiful flowers to be on the lookout for while traveling Belize.
Heaps of Hibiscus
One of the most prevalent and prolific flowering plants you’ll encounter in Belize is the Hibiscus. A variety of species in an array of colors grow with great success, and very little care, across the country. You’ll see Hibiscus everywhere: used as ornamental hedges, in pots and planters on patios, just spreading naturally upon the roadside. Many locals enjoy cultivating a couple Hibiscus bushes in their yards not only for the lovely trumpet-shaped blooms that can range in color from deep red to pure white, but the flowers can also be used to make a refreshing and vitamin-packed tea.
Dainty Orchids
Belize is home to some 250 native varieties of orchids. The Black Orchid is the national flower of Belize and is emblematic of the beauty and resilient spirit of the country. The flower’s eminent clam-shell shape and “tentacles” resembling an octopus are immediately recognizable along with its sultry hues; a deep purple or maroon rather than a true black, with cheerfully contrasting yellow in its center.
Flowering Fruit Trees
Before its food, its flowers! Don’t just scan the ground, look up in the trees too. Some of Belize’s tropical fruit trees throw off some stunning blossoms. Guava trees produce a snow-white flower with a patch of delicate stamen in the center. Malay Apple trees, originating in Asia but brought to the Caribbean and cultivated here a few hundred years ago, produce a riot of fuchsia-colored flowers that resemble a cheerleader’s pom-poms.
Hardy Heliconia
Dozens of varieties of Heliconia can be found in Belize. The most iconic and common are the False Bird of Paradise and the Lobster Claw. Heliconia thrive here and are tenaciously tough, tolerating harsh sunlight, sandy soil, and salty air, and are resistant to both drought and flooding.
Fragrant Frangipani
A deciduous tree, the Frangipani can sometimes look like nothing more than a tangle of barren branches. But when they flower, their fragrance is powerful and intoxicating. The blossoms held special significance to the ancient Maya of the region who associated the Frangipani flower with female deities and fertility.
