Caribbean Pine (Pinus caribaea) St. Lucia Windward Islands West Indies Caribbean Central America

The Caribbean Pine (Pinus caribaea) is a hard pine native to Central America, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It inhabits tropical and subtropical coniferous forests. The most noteworthy distinguishing characteristics for this species are the long fascicle sheaths and the multinodal shoots, the latter being an effective adaptation to the tropical climate: when it rains, the tree grows, and when the rains stop, so does the growth. Pinus caribaea has conservation status "vulnerable" (IUCN Red List 2009.10.13).