Plants native to Christmas I.

We document 140 of the 207 species Kew’s World Checklist records as native to Christmas I.. Native means native: introduced, extinct and doubtful records are excluded, so this is where these plants are from, not everywhere they now grow.

Documented 140 Native, per Kew 207 Coverage 68% TDWG XMS

Best documented by photographic coverage

Every documented species 140 native to Christmas I.

SpeciesAuthorityFamily Photographs
Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik. Malvaceae 8
Abutilon auritum (Wall. ex Link) Sweet Malvaceae 8
Achyranthes aspera L. Amaranthaceae 8
Aidia racemosa (Cav.) Tirveng. Rubiaceae 8
Amblovenatum opulentum (Kaulf.) J.P.Roux Thelypteridaceae 8
Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze Lamiaceae 8
Arthropteris palisotii (Desv.) Alston Arthropteridaceae 8
Asplenium nidus L. Aspleniaceae 8
Asplenium polyodon G.Forst. Aspleniaceae 8
Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. Acanthaceae 8
Barringtonia racemosa (L.) Spreng. Lecythidaceae 8
Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. Asteraceae 8
Blumea lanceolaria Druce Asteraceae 8
Boerhavia diffusa L. Nyctaginaceae 8
Bolbitis heteroclita (Pr.) Ching Dryopteridaceae 8
Bruguiera gymnorhiza (L.) Lam. ex Savigny Rhizophoraceae 8
Bruguiera sexangula (Lour.) Poir. Rhizophoraceae 8
Calophyllum inophyllum L. Calophyllaceae 8
Canavalia cathartica Thouars Fabaceae 8
Carex filicina Nees Cyperaceae 8
Causonis japonica (Thunb.) Raf. Vitaceae 8
Causonis trifolia (L.) Mabb. & J.Wen Vitaceae 8
Celastrus paniculatus Willd. Celastraceae 8
Celtis timorensis Span. Cannabaceae 8
Cerbera manghas L. Apocynaceae 8
Champereia manillana (Blume) Merr. Opiliaceae 8
Cinnamomum iners (Reinw. ex Nees & T.Nees) Blume Lauraceae 8
Cissus repens Lam. Vitaceae 8
Cleome gynandra L. Cleomaceae 8
Cleome viscosa L. Cleomaceae 8
Combretum indicum (L.) DeFilipps Combretaceae 8
Corchorus aestuans L. Malvaceae 8
Cordia subcordata Lam. Cordiaceae 8
Corymborkis veratrifolia (Reinw.) Blume Orchidaceae 8
Crepidomanes parvulum (Poir.) Nivart, Senterre & Dubuisson Hymenophyllaceae 8
Crinum asiaticum L. Amaryllidaceae 8
Cyanthillium cinereum (L.) H.Rob. Asteraceae 8
Cyperus brevifolius (Rottb.) Hassk. Cyperaceae 8
Cyperus javanicus Houtt. Cyperaceae 8
Cyperus odoratus L. Cyperaceae 8
Davallia denticulata (Burm.) Mett.; Kuhn Davalliaceae 8
Davallia solida (Forst.) Sw. Davalliaceae 8
Decalobanthus peltatus (L.) A.R.Simões & Staples Convolvulaceae 8
Deeringia amaranthoides (Lam.) Merr. Amaranthaceae 8
Dendrobium crumenatum Sw. Orchidaceae 8
Dendrocnide sinuata (Blume) Chew Urticaceae 8
Derris elliptica (Wall.) Benth. Fabaceae 8
Didymoplexis pallens Griff. Orchidaceae 8
Digitaria radicosa (J.Presl) Miq. Poaceae 8
Digitaria setigera Roth Poaceae 8
Dioscorea alata L. Dioscoreaceae 8
Dioscorea bulbifera L. Dioscoreaceae 8
Dodonaea viscosa Jacq. Sapindaceae 8
Ehretia microphylla Lam. Ehretiaceae 8
Eleocharis geniculata (L.) Roem. & Schult. Cyperaceae 8
Entada rheedei Spreng. Fabaceae 8
Eragrostis tenella (L.) P.Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. Poaceae 8
Erythrina variegata L. Fabaceae 8
Ficus microcarpa L.f. Moraceae 8
Fimbristylis cymosa R.Br. Cyperaceae 8
Galactia striata (Jacq.) Urb. Fabaceae 8
Grewia abutilifolia Vent. ex Juss. Malvaceae 8
Guettarda speciosa L. Rubiaceae 8
Guilandina bonduc L. Fabaceae 8
Gyrocarpus americanus Jacq. Hernandiaceae 8
Haplopteris elongata (Sw.) E.H.Crane Pteridaceae 8
Heliotropium arboreum (Blanco) Mabb. Heliotropiaceae 8
Heritiera littoralis Aiton Malvaceae 8
Hibiscus tiliaceus L. Malvaceae 8
Hibiscus vitifolius L. Malvaceae 8
Indigofera hirsuta L. Fabaceae 8
Inocarpus fagifer (Parkinson ex F.A.Zorn) Fosberg Fabaceae 8
Ipomoea obscura (L.) Ker Gawl. Convolvulaceae 8
Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) R.Br. Convolvulaceae 8
Ipomoea violacea L. Convolvulaceae 8
Ischaemum muticum L. Poaceae 8
Jacquemontia paniculata (Burm.f.) Hallier f. Convolvulaceae 8
Kleinhovia hospita L. Malvaceae 8
Lemna aequinoctialis Welw. Araceae 8
Leptochilus decurrens Blume Polypodiaceae 8
Lepturus repens (G.Forst.) R.Br. Poaceae 8
Leucas zeylanica (L.) W.T.Aiton Lamiaceae 8
Lycianthes biflora (Lour.) Bitter Solanaceae 8
Macaranga tanarius Müll.Arg. Euphorbiaceae 8
Maclura cochinchinensis (Lour.) Corner Moraceae 8
Melochia umbellata (Houtt.) Stapf Malvaceae 8
Merremia hederacea (Burm.f.) Hallier f. Convolvulaceae 8
Microsorum punctatum Copel. Polypodiaceae 8
Microsorum scolopendria (Burm.f.) Copel. Polypodiaceae 8
Momordica charantia L. Cucurbitaceae 8
Morinda citrifolia L. Rubiaceae 8
Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. Fabaceae 8
Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack Rutaceae 8
Nephrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott Nephrolepidaceae 8
Nephrolepis brownii (Desv.) Hovenkamp & Miyam. Nephrolepidaceae 8
Ophioglossum petiolatum Hook. Ophioglossaceae 8
Oplismenus compositus (L.) P.Beauv. Poaceae 8
Pemphis acidula J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. Lythraceae 8
Phlegmariurus phlegmaria (L.) Holub Lycopodiaceae 8
Pilea peploides (Gaudich.) Hook. & Arn. Urticaceae 8
Pipturus argenteus (G.Forst.) Wedd. Urticaceae 8
Pisonia grandis R.Br. Nyctaginaceae 8
Pluchea indica Less. Asteraceae 8
Plumbago zeylanica L. Plumbaginaceae 8
Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre Fabaceae 8
Premna serratifolia L. Lamiaceae 8
Psilotum nudum (L.) P.Beauv. Psilotaceae 8
Pteris tripartita Sw. Pteridaceae 8
Pteris vittata L. Pteridaceae 8
Reholttumia truncata (Poir.) S.E.Fawc. & A.R.Sm. Thelypteridaceae 8
Remusatia vivipara (Roxb.) Schott Araceae 8
Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Clayton Poaceae 8
Ruellia prostrata Poir. Acanthaceae 8
Scaevola taccada (Gaertn.) Roxb. Goodeniaceae 8
Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L. Aizoaceae 8
Sida acuta Burm.f. Malvaceae 8
Sida rhombifolia L. Malvaceae 8
Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid. Araceae 8
Sporobolus fertilis (Steud.) Clayton Poaceae 8
Stictocardia tiliifolia (Desr.) Hallier f. Convolvulaceae 8
Syzygium nervosum DC. Myrtaceae 8
Tectaria membranacea (Hook.) Fraser-Jenk. & Kholia Tectariaceae 8
Terminalia catappa L. Combretaceae 8
Ticanto crista (L.) R.Clark & Gagnon Fabaceae 8
Torenia crustacea (L.) Cham. & Schltdl. Linderniaceae 8
Trema tomentosum (Roxb.) H.Hara Cannabaceae 8
Triphasia trifolia (Burm.f.) P.Wilson Rutaceae 8
Urena lobata L. Malvaceae 8
Vitis flexuosa Thunb. Vitaceae 8
Wollastonia biflora DC. Asteraceae 8
Xenostegia tridentata (L.) D.F.Austin & Staples Convolvulaceae 8
Ximenia americana L. Olacaceae 8
Croton caudatus Geiseler Euphorbiaceae 7
Cynometra ramiflora L. Fabaceae 7
Heptapleurum ellipticum (Blume) Seem. Araliaceae 7
Tectaria dissecta (G.Forst.) Lellinger Tectariaceae 7
Claoxylon indicum Hassk. Euphorbiaceae 6
Zehneria mucronata Miq. Cucurbitaceae 6
Laportea ruderalis (G.Forst.) Chew Urticaceae 4
Leucas decemdentata (Willd.) Sm. Lamiaceae 3

What this page does not tell you

Kew records 67 more species as native to Christmas I. that we do not document. They are real, accepted plants. They have no page here because we could not find three photographs of them licensed for commercial use, and this site publishes no species it cannot show you. That gap is the honest measure of what we are missing, and it is why we print both numbers rather than the flattering one.

This is a checklist of what is native, not a guide to what will grow in your garden, and it carries no care advice and no toxicity claim, because we do not have those from a source we can cite.

Sourcesevery claim on this page

  1. Kew, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP v16). Native distribution by TDWG level-3 botanical country (XMS). Introduced, extinct and doubtful records excluded. CC BY 3.0. Retrieved 2026-06-04.
  2. World Flora Online Plant List. Accepted names, authorities, classification. CC0. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  3. iNaturalist. Photographs, restricted to CC0 / CC BY / CC BY-SA. Retrieved 2026-06-27.