| Scientific Name | Local Name | Characteristics | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Magoo (Beach cabbage) | Most common coastal shrub. Thick, fleshy leaves; white, fan-shaped flowers. Excellent windbreak. | | Pemphis acidula | Kuredhi (Also for Cordia – note local name overlap) | Extremely hardy, gnarled shrub. Wood is very dense and used for fangi (mortar) and small carvings. | | Suriana maritima | Bili fathi | Yellow flowers; succulent-like leaves. Grows on rocky coral rubble. | | Tournefortia argentea | Boashi (Tree heliotrope) | Can grow into a small tree. Silvery leaves; clusters of purple-white flowers. | | Caesalpinia bonduc | Kudhufilaa | Climbing shrub with thorny stems. Seeds (grey nickernuts) used in traditional games and medicine. |
For centuries, Maldivian seafarers returned from East Africa, India, and Southeast Asia with seeds and saplings. These introduced species have become so naturalized that many tourists assume they are native. trees and shrubs of the maldives
These species form the backbone of the Maldivian landscape, providing everything from coastal protection to traditional medicine and construction materials. Food and Agriculture Organization lants Common plants - Live & Learn Environmental Education | Scientific Name | Local Name | Characteristics
While technically a tree up to 6 meters, it is often shrub-like. Known worldwide for its pungent, "vomit-fruit" smell, the Noni has been a cornerstone of Maldivian traditional medicine ( feyli ). The fruit is eaten raw (with difficulty) or juiced to treat arthritis, diabetes, and fever. The leaves are used to wrap fish for steaming, and the root yields a red dye for traditional lifafu (mats). | | Pemphis acidula | Kuredhi (Also for