Vochysia guatemalensis

Natural history

Vochysia guatemalensis belongs to Vochysiaceae, a small family of tropical American trees. In Costa Rica it is known as chancho blanco, cebo or mayo blanco; the name botarrama mostly refers to a sister species, Vochysia ferruginea. It grows in very wet forests on both slopes, from sea level to about 1,000 m, and is common in the northern zone and the Caribbean lowlands.

It is a pioneer tree: it grows fast in full sun, raises a straight bole and has grey bark that peels off in small plates. Its simple, glossy leaves grow in threes or fours around each node. Between March and June the crown is covered in upright clusters of fragrant yellow flowers; between August and October it ripens capsules with winged seeds that the wind carries away.

The individual in the gallery grows in the foothills of Pococí, at about 440 m above sea level. Its lichen-speckled bark is the most visible part of its story. The least visible part is in the leaves, which accumulate aluminium. The library explores that chemical oddity and why it made this a key tree for reforestation.

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