Less than 30% of all trees lose their leaves in evergreen forests, and there are few epiphytes or lianas. It is classified according to leaf length as being either mesophyllous or microphyllous. Mesophyllous forest occurs at elevations from sea level to or. The canopy reaches a height of, while certain trees such as palms emerge at. The upper layer of trees in Sierra del Rosario includes aguacatillo, ocuje, jocuma and macurije. Yaya, Wallenialaurifolia, ramón de caballo and Ficus species grow in the lower layer. Microphyllous evergreen forest establishes itself over coastal limestone. It has evergreen and deciduous trees that reach a height of or, some thorny shrubs, arborescent cacti, other succulents, epiphytes and dry lianas. Trees include júcaro espinoso, cúrbana, guayacán negro, yaití, cerillo, soplillo, guao de costa, almácigo, caguairán amarillo, uvillón, and miraguanos. Tuna is an important understory species.
Semi-deciduous forests
About half of the trees in semi-deciduous forests are evergreen, along with shrubs, epiphytes, a few herbaceous plants, and many vines. Trees in this type of forest are often mesophyllous, with leaves long. The canopy in forests with consistent moisture reaches a height of and may have emergent species up to high as well as palms. The lower arboreal story includes deciduous and sclerophyllous evergreen trees. Soils are either red rendzinas, black rendzinas, or brown soils. Trees grow rapidly due to heavy rainfall during the summer. The upper layer of trees includes almácigo, cedro-cheiroso, dagame, ceiba, baría, ateje, cuyá, caoba, ayúa, guasiriano and palma real. The lower layer includes jía, guara, yamagua, yaya and siguaraya. Forests with fluctuating moisture have an canopy, an understory of microphyllous and thorny deciduous species, and a forest floor covered in herbaceous geophytes.
Mogotes
s are conical mountains composed ofkarstic limestone and are found in western Cuba. Forests found on mogotes are characterized by a discontinuous story of trees high, as well as palms, plentiful succulents, epiphytes, and lianas. Plant life includes palma barrigona de sierra, guanito de sierra, roble, piñón, Malpighiaroigiana, palma corcho, Lantanastrigosa, Agave spp., and Leptocereus spp. The vegetation on rock faces is bushy and very open and includes shrubs and trees with specially adapted roots, such as the endemic ceibón.
Sclerophyllous low forests
ous low forests are found growing on serpentine soils and represent the transition between the dry forests and xeric scrublands. This is subdivided into charrascales and cuabales. Cuabales can reach heights of, and palms and species with small, hard and very thorny leaves are abundant. Emergent trees can be found. Plant life includes cuabal, anón del cuabal, júcaro espinoso, uverillo, chicharrón, palmas jatas, miraguanos, Buxus spp. Bourreria spp., robles, Guettarda spp., Rhodogeroncoronopifolius and Agave cajalbanensis.
