LEAF your mark in Florida: the autograph tree

The autograph tree, Clusia rosea, was seen throughout our trip from hiking trails, to restaurants, to enclosures within museums. The plant has smooth, waxy, and flat green leaves. Its name comes from the plant’s ability to retain markings that remain on the leaves after being scratched. The markings will get covered in sap, remain, and continue to grow along with the plant until the leaf dies and falls to the ground

. 

In places where the plant thrives, such as Florida, the Caribbean, and Hawaii, it is used most commonly as a form of living graffiti but has been known in the past as being used to make playing cards. So next time you see one, try leaving a mark and see if it remains during a future visit. If you do not plan on returning anytime soon, the leaf it can still be sent through the postal service; however, keep in mind that the leaf will die eventually since it was removed from the plant.  

This plant was magnificent in Florida, so if you missed out on marking one while there, you can also grow one indoors at home. The plant will remain smaller at around 6 feet instead of the 25 to 30 found in nature. The plant is highly adaptive and can help you feel like a piece of Florida has come home. 

It should be mentioned that although this tree is incredible aesthetically, in places where it is not native, such as Hawaii, it has been problematic. It can escape cultivation and spread quickly as well as strangling host plants. Its ability to spread stems from the fact that 1000 seeds are produced per square meter that attract birds allowing them to hitch a ride through the sky. As such, it is best to keep this plant indoors despite its adaptive nature.