Nashia inaguensis aka Bahama Cherry

Nashia inaguensis is a woody shrub in the verbena family. The family's name is Verbenaceae. The shrub is native to parts of the Caribbean. Kew lists Great Inagua in the Bahamas as one such place. Its range extends from southern Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands. Useful Tropical Plants lists a smaller range: the Bahamas. The plant has another name, or synonym, Lippia inaguensis. The RHS lists it as non-native to Britain and Ireland.

The shrub grows many branches and spreads out as it grows. Useful Tropical Plants gives its height as 6.6 feet [2 metres]. This figure is for the species, not a stated garden range. The sources give no width for this spreading shrub. Nor do they say how fast it grows. They give no time for it to reach full size. The supplied text does not describe its bark or leaf shape. The account has flower photos, but few facts about them. It gives no flower colour or bloom season. It does not describe the fruit.

People pick leaves from wild plants to make tea. People grow the shrub too, though there is little growing advice. They use both fresh and dried leaves for tea. Useful Tropical Plants says the leaves have a fruit scent. The scent has notes of pineapple. People mix the leaves with other teas for a vanilla flavour. The leaf is the only part the source lists as edible. The database rates its food use two out of five. It lists no known uses as medicine or for other ends. This means no one has reported such uses there. It does not prove that no such uses exist.

Useful Tropical Plants says wild plants grow in scrub. Kew places the plant in a tropical climate with dry seasons. These facts do not show how much water garden plants need. The sources give no tested needs for light, soil, or drainage. They give no frost limits or hardiness zone. They list seed as the means to grow new plants. They give no steps for sowing it. No supplied source names pests, diseases, or set landscape roles. Useful Tropical Plants reports no known hazards for this species. That does not prove safety for pets or every human use. The evidence supports leaf tea use, not a wider safety rating.