THE BIG TREES

Big majestic trees and their wood are in high demand, and poaching is a problem in the area. Our intent is to discover and catalog every major tree on the property and protect them as best we can. We'll also plant a lot of trees each year, including fruit trees for the animals in the area. 

Fruit Trees

Achiote (annatto)-Bixa orellana (Bixaceae)

This is a small shrub which produces fruits in January/February and  May/July. A dye is extracted from its fruit and it is used in foods,  medicines, and beauty products. This tree is common throughout the  country in lowland forests.

Guabas - Inga sp (Fabaceae, Mimosoidae)

The guabas are prevalent in the tropical forest. The fruits are large  legumes, and the people eat the fleshy and sweet aril that surrounds  the seeds. The guabas are often used as shade in the coffee  plantations; they have the added benefit of fixing nitrogen, thus  improving the soil.  These plants are bat pollinated, but are often  visited by butterflies, bees and birds. Also, the presence of nectaries  in the leaves attract several species of ants.

Aguacate (avocado)-Persea americana (Lauraceae)

This avocado producing tree occurs from Mexico to Colombia. Costa Rica has several species of Persea,  and you can find different kinds of avocados in the "Feria del  agricultor", a street-sale of vegetables that takes place during the  weekends in the downtowns or at the supermarket. The fruits are  available during most of the year with peak of production from May to  July.

Cacao-Theobroma sterculia (Sterculiaceae)

The cacao trees are found in the lowlands of Costa Rica mainly on the  Caribbean side. The pulp around the seeds is sweet and commonly eaten.  Cacao seeds are used to produce chocolate by roasting and grinding them.  The cacao was frequently used by Mayans and Aztecs.

Jocote - Spondias purpurea (Anacardiaceae)  This tree is often used as living fence, and the fruits are consumed  regularly by people. The fruiting season is at the end of the dry  season. It has compound leaves that are lost during the dry season  (deciduous tree); the flowers are reddish-purple and the fruits are  about 5 cm in length.

Tamarindo is a very common tree and a popular drink  in Costa Rica. Tamarindo, a famous tourist beach and surfing  destination, is named after this tree, because it is found there in  abundance.