Species of Tropical Trees

• The cabbage palm grows only in subtropical and tropical regions. Arthur Tilley/Creatas/Getty Images

  The world's tropical regions hold an immense amount of biodiversity, including hundreds of species of trees. According to Blue Planet Biomes, one hectare of tropical rainforest can include up to 300 different tree species. In many instances, trees shape the collective imagination about the tropics.

Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto)

• The Florida native cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) is the state's state tree. Cabbage palms make up 6 percent of the trees in Tampa Bay, Florida, and the majority of its palms, according to the University of Florida. Although its ability to tolerate drought, soggy soils and salt recommends the cabbage palm for urban planting, it plays an important role in nature as well. Plants, such as orchids and ferns, often grow among its fronds, and its fruit feeds local wildlife.

Encephalartos ferox

• E. ferox belongs to the cycad division of plants, a group of plants that closely resembles palms but is more closely related to pine trees, according to the University of Florida. An ancient plant, the cycad populated the earth during the age of the dinosaurs. The South African native achieved renown for its holly-like evergreen foliage and ornamental scarlet cones, causing it to become a popular ornamental tree in the tropical United States.

Strangler Fig (Ficus citrifolia)

• Strangler roots can grow down from treetops or even the tops of buildings. tree root image by Al T from Fotolia.com

  The strangler fig (Ficus citrifolia) constitutes one of the most unusual and opportunistic trees of the tropical forest. Competition for light can be fierce in the tropical forest, as the canopies of mature trees shade out seedlings trying to establish on the ground. As explained on Palomar College's website, strangler figs adapt by germinating high off the ground in the branches of mature trees. Their roots grow downward toward the earth, while their branches extend upward. Roots wrap around the host tree as they grow, cutting into its trunk and restricting the flow of water and nutrients in the trunk.

Coffee Tree (Coffea arabica)

• The products of the coffee tree (Coffea arabica) make one of the most important beverages in the Western world, according to Purdue University. C. arabica produces 90 percent of the world's coffee. The tree originated in Nigeria but today grows throughout tropical regions in Central America, South America and Asia, where hot, humid weather favors the growth of the tree.