On Monday the Fort Myers Beach Town Council will vote on a motion to make the Gumbo Limbo the official tree of the beach. This is a picture of the tree that grows up to 50 feet. Here’s what the motion says…
The Gumbo Limbo Tree has been widely informally reported since the Town’s incorporation as the “official Town tree”, including in the
The town’s ordinance says that the Gumbo Limbo Tree has an unusual shape, no two are alike, and the bark is red and peels off like a sunburned tourist, thus inspiring Floridians to give it the common name of “The Tourist Tree.”
It goes on to say that the Gumbo Limbo Tree has a high tolerance to withstand the natural elements on the Island including drought, wind, salt, full sun, and sandy soil, and propagates through cuttings even as large as a branch.
The Gumbo Limbo Tree grows to an average of 40 to 50 feet tall and 20 to 40 feet wide.
A 2005 publication called “Shades of Fort Myers Beach,” produced in partnership with the Estero Island Garden Club, refers to the tree as the official tree of Fort Myers Beach.
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