From Breadfruit to Oranges: Haitian Tales of Belonging

In Haiti’s rural regions, like the one where my mother grew up, it is customary for midwives to preserve the umbilical cord of newborns. The navel string is then grafted and planted by the mother alongside the seed or pit of a fruit tree. My great uncle, Ton Smith, once explained that this practice ensures the child remains deeply connected to their roots. As the tree takes root in the earth, so does the child, forever linked to the land. To my surprise, I later discovered that this tradition wasn’t unique to Haiti. While speaking with a friend, she informed me that it was also customary in Cameroon. This practice is also observed in Jamaica, where it is known as planting the “birth tree” or “navel string tree.” In recent years, there have been efforts by the Jamaican State to revive the dying tradition on the island. In 2022, the Forestry department launched the “Grow With Me” campaign, part of the National Tree Planting Initiative, whereby parents or guardians of children born after 2019 were invited to national nurseries to collect a free fruit seedling (“Forestry”).