Plants of Nauru: The Complete List

Nauru’s vegetation reflects its compact size and history: mined interior, narrow coastal strips and scattered remnant scrub create a mix of habitats in a very small area. That mix matters for anyone studying island ecosystems, restoring plant cover, or simply curious about local flora.

There are 29 Plants of Nauru, ranging from Ageratum to Urena; entries are organized by Scientific name, Nativity, Habitat, which you’ll find below.

Which species on the list are actually native to Nauru?

The list includes native, endemic and introduced species, so check the Nativity column for each entry; native plants are typically noted as such and are often tied to specific habitat types (coastal, inland scrub), while many disturbed or urban areas are dominated by introduced species.

How can I use this list for fieldwork or planning a garden project?

Use the Scientific name for accurate identification, consult the Habitat notes to match species to site conditions, cross-reference with regional floras or herbarium records for more detail, and verify legal or conservation guidance locally before collecting or planting.

Plants of Nauru

Images and Descriptions

Coconut

Iconic palm planted across Nauru for shade, food and copra; tall, single-trunk trees produce coconuts used for water, oil and fiber. Naturalized after human introduction and central to local household uses and coastal shelter belts.

Screw pine

Stilt-rooted tree producing spiky, fibrous leaves and edible drupes; leaves used for weaving mats and roofs. Common on coastal margins and degraded inland areas, tolerant of salt spray and thin coral soils.

Naupaka

Dense coastal shrub with distinctive half-flowers that hug the shoreline. Forms dune-stabilizing scrub, tolerates salt and wind, and is a common sight along beaches where it provides habitat and erosion control.

Beach morning-glory

Prostrate vine with large, fleshy leaves and purple flowers that stabilizes dunes and sandy shorelines. Fast-growing, salt-tolerant and widespread; important for coastal protection and commonly seen crawling over sand and rocks.

Beach hibiscus

Small to medium coastal tree with large heart-shaped leaves and yellow flowers; used traditionally for cordage, shade and boat-making. Grows along shorelines and in village plantings, tolerant of salty winds.

Portia tree

Hardwood tree with yellowish flowers and smooth bark, commonly planted near homes. Wood used for carving and traditional uses; establishes easily in coastal soils and is common in village windbreaks and garden plantings.

Tropical almond

Large, spreading tree with horizontal branches and edible nuts; provides deep shade along coastlines and in settlements. Leaves turn bright red before falling, and the tree often marks village compounds and beaches.

Breadfruit

Staple Pacific tree crop planted in home gardens and small plantations. Produces large starchy fruits used for food; important traditional food source and often propagated around villages on Nauru.

Mango

Fruit tree widely cultivated in yards for its sweet fruit. Provides shade and seasonal harvests; trees are common around homes though not a wild forest component on the phosphate plateau.

Banana

Clumping herbaceous plants cultivated for sweet fruits in small household plots. Fast-growing and common in gardens where shade and water allow, often interplanted with other edible species.

Papaya

Fast-growing fruit tree commonly cultivated for its edible orange flesh and soft seeds. Readily regenerates from seed and appears in disturbed yards and plot edges across the island.

Guava

Invasive fruiting shrub or small tree that naturalizes in disturbed ground and village margins. Produces edible fruit but can form dense thickets that outcompete native plants in degraded areas.

Candlenut

Medium tree producing oily nuts traditionally used for light, oil and carving. Common across Pacific home gardens and coastal plantings; tolerant of poor soils and often established in village plantings.

Casuarina

Tall, pine-like coastal tree used widely as windbreak and for land stabilization. Tolerates salty soils and poor substrates; often planted to shelter homes and reduce wind damage on exposed coasts.

Pemphis

Sturdy, low-growing shrub of rocky intertidal zones with thick, tangled branches. Important for stabilizing coral rock crevices and providing habitat for coastal fauna; highly salt- and wind-tolerant.

Beach gardenia

Fragrant coastal tree with white blossoms and large fruits; common on sandy shores and near villages. Often associated with traditional uses and coastal groves, tolerant of salt spray and shallow soils.

Purslane

Low succulent used as a leafy vegetable and groundcover; thrives in compacted, nutrient-poor soils. Common in disturbed sites and gardens across Nauru and eaten locally in some households.

Leucaena

Fast-growing leguminous shrub or tree used for fodder, shade and reforestation. Easily colonizes disturbed ground and mine-impacted areas; valued for soil enrichment but can become weedy.

Lantana

Colourful but invasive flowering shrub that forms dense thickets in disturbed areas. Harmful to native regeneration and grazing, widely regarded as a troublesome weed across Pacific islands including Nauru.

Coral tree

Striking thorny tree with bright red pea-flowers used as shade and ornamental planting near houses and communal areas. Commonly planted for rapid shade and occasional cultural uses.

Sea purslane

Mat-forming succulent groundcover found on saline flats and sandy beaches. Highly salt-tolerant and important for stabilizing open coastal areas, with fleshy leaves and small pink flowers.

Kou/Cordia

Fragrant flowering tree producing orange blossoms and light wood used for carving; often planted near villages and beaches. Tolerates coastal exposure and is culturally valued across the Pacific.

Taro

Staple root crop grown in household plots where water is available. Large-leaved plant cultivated in small patches for starchy corms; eaten boiled, baked or pounded in traditional dishes.

Sweet potato

Trailing tuberous plant widely cultivated in home gardens for edible roots. Tough, drought-tolerant and often intercropped; important traditional subsistence crop with many local varieties.

Pigeon pea

Shrubby legume used as a food crop and soil improver in small homestead plots. Produces edible peas and fixes nitrogen, helping restore soil on degraded or disturbed sites.

Pisonia

Broad-leaved coastal tree that forms bird-nesting groves on some Pacific islands; seeds are sticky and attach to birds. Where present it indicates seabird influence and coastal forest patches, though occurrences on Nauru are localized.

Urena

Common roadside weed with pink hibiscus-like flowers and burs. Colonizes disturbed soils quickly and is frequently seen along paths, cleared areas and village margins.

Sida

Slender shrub with small yellow flowers found in dry, disturbed places. Tolerant of poor soils and common in open areas around settlements, often considered a nuisance weed.

Ageratum

Herbaceous weed with fluffy blue to white flower heads that invades gardens and disturbed sites. Grows quickly in tropical conditions and can crowd out seedlings and low plants.

Plants in Other Countries