Trees of the Tropical World

Important factors for life of tropical trees are the high light intensity which average around 12 hours/day through the year, and the resulting weak seasonality. Tropical trees receive plenty of light, and the majority are evergreen, but if they shed the leaves it is only fleetingly, or to advertise glamorous flowers. Many tropical trees demonstrate cauliflory, whereby flowers and fruit emerge direct from the trunk, enabling easier access for pollination by animals which can not fly or climb.