The conservancy that I’m developing in West Delray Beach, FL, is destined to be (if I have anything to say about it) one of the largest and best-curated palm tree collections in the world. It also features a growing collection of outdoor sculptures, a traditionally styled Japanese tea house, a Zen Garden, and a Yoga/Jiu Jitsu House in the shade of a little bamboo forest. Not to mention a stock of African cycads, dozens of other exotic plants and trees, and one of Florida’s highest “mountains” at nearly 20 feet!

Here’s a peek at one of those exotic trees:

Autograph Tree

Also known as: balsam apple, pitch-apple, copey, or Scotch attorney
Binomial name: Clusia rosea

The autograph tree is native to the Bahamas, Hispaniola, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Florida. Unlike most other plants, it can absorb carbon dioxide during nighttime hours. It’s called the autograph tree because its leaves are so hard you can carve into them. In the West Indies, the leaves were used to make playing cards.

For more information about Paradise Palms, click here.