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Tree Species Descriptions 

This following page documents the types of trees being grown at Veluna Acres, the plantation of the Ralmar Ecoforestry Corporation.  The page contains information on the species as well as pictures of the leaf, bark and whole tree (where available).  All trees are native species to Costa Rica.  This information was prepared by John Carlson and Ken Gallatin in December 2003.

Amarillón
(Combretaceae Terminalia amazonia)

Wood Type:  General
Used For:  General construction, cabinet making, veneer.

Grown by:  Pseudo Stake and seedling bags
Rotation:  20 yrs. Commercial thinnings in 10 yrs.
Hectares Planted:  22.21

Comments:  This yellow wood is widely used for building in Costa Rica.  Everything from walls and roof joists to paneling for the interior can come from this wood. This is the species we have planted most widely on the farm. This tree grows fairly quickly, has good form, produces good quality wood and more is known about it as a plantation species than any other species we have on the farm. It's the anchor species of the farm, the one we will count on most heavily to produce timber.







Cedro Amargo
(Meliaceae Cedrela odorata)

Wood Type:  Semi precious
Used For:  Funiture and cabinet making, doors, paneling, musical instruments.

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation:  20 yrs. Commercial thinnings in 10 years.
Hectares Planted:  2.67 Planted as scattered individuals among the other plantings for the most part, not in blocks; so there aren't actually 2.67 ha of trees, but if you added up the individual space each tree occupies it adds up to that. Does that make sense to you?

 Comments:  A high quality wood of the mahogany family that is easy to work. Grows quick on most any type of site. I would plant this tree everywhere if it didn't have one very serious problem: a moth, Hypsipyla grandella, lays its eggs on the terminal bud of the leader and the resulting larva bore into the bud and kill it. This slows growth and affects the tree's form.





Corteza Amarilla
(Bignoniaceae     Tabebuia ochraceae)

Wood Type:  Precious
Used For:  Furniture and cabinet making, flooring, handicrafts, tool handles.

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation:  40 - 50 years, commercial thinnings in 20?
Hectares Planted:  0.45

Comments:  An extremely heavy wood very resistant to rot and termites.Gives a beautiful finish. Not much of anything is known about rotation periods, therefore the question mark.







Cristobal
(Leguminosae    Platymiscium pleiostachum)

Wood Type:  Precious
Used For:  Furniture and cabinet making, flooring, paneling, veneer, handicrafts, musical instruments.

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation:  40 years, commercial thinnings in 20.
Hectares Planted:  3.08

Comments:  The most valuable wood in Costa Rica today. Very attractive wood with reddish and black veins that is very resistant to rot.







Espavel
(Anacardiaceae   Anacardium excelsum)

Wood Type:  Soft
Used For:  Forms for pouring cement, crates and pallets, light consruction.

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation:  12 years.
Hectares Planted:  1.62

Comments:  Fast growth, lower quality.





Laurel
(Boraginaceae   Cordia alliodora)                                                                                           
Wood Type:  General
Used For:  General construction, furniture and cabinet making.

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation:  20 years on a good site, but a question to be resolved on our farm.
Hectares Planted:  1.2 These are mostly naturally occurring individuals that are scattered around the farm that we will manage, not planted blocks.

Comments:  Laurel doesn't care much for degraded soils (like our farm). It grows naturally on our farm, but when we plant it it doesn't do well, tends to die, actually. Most of the 500 trees we planted have been replaced with other species. It does occur throughout the farm as a naturally occuring tree that are of course left to continue growing and we will manage them.







Mangillo
(Apocynaceae   Aspidosperma megalocarpon)

Wood Type:  Semi precious
Used For:  Furniture and cabinet making, flooring, paneling.

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation:  30 years?
Hectares Planted:  1.32

 Comments:  Not much known about this species in plantaions, therefore the question mark on rotation. Grows remarkably straight making it a miller's dream, easy to saw. Pretty wood that has become very scarce recently.







Maria
(Guttiferae    Calophyllum brasiliense)

Wood Type:  General
Used For:  General construction, furniture and cabinet making,

Grown by:  Seedling bags and direct transplant in bare root (pulling it out of the ground where it germinated and grew and planting it elsewhere)
Rotation:  25 years, commercial thinnings in 14.
Hectares Planted:  2.57

Comments:  Has some problems with form, but if it is well managed it overcomes this. Likes to grow in shade during its first couple of years of life.





Mayo Blanco
(Vochysiaceae   Vochysia guatemalensis)

Wood Type:  Soft
Used For:  Interior construction, low-end furniture and cabinet making, crates and pallets, forms for concrete work.

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation:  15 years, commercial thinning in 8 - 10 years.
Hectares Planted:  1.56

Comments:  A white soft wood that has decent strength. Is not good to use where it gets wet or is in contact with the soil.







Mayo Colorado
(Vochysiaceae   Vochysia ferruginea)

Wood Type:  General
Used For:  General construction, veneer,crates and pallets, forms for concrete work.

Grown by:  Direct transplant in bare root
Rotation:  20 years, commercial thinning in 10.
Hectares Planted:  2.59

Comments:  Fairly fast growing, it is harder than its cousin mayo blanco. The wood can be suceptible to rot so it is usually used in interior construction.







Nazareno
(Caesalpiniaceae   Peltogyne purpurea)

Wood Type:  Precious
Used For:  Furniture and cabinet making, flooring, paneling, veneer and marine construction.

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation:  40 - 50 years, commercial thinnings in 20?
Hectares Planted:  0.27

Comments:  Vies with cristobal for most valuable wood. It has great natural resitence to rot and the heartwood is purple. Another species that not much is known about.





Pavillo
(Araliaceae   Didymopanax morototoni)                                                                                  
Wood Type:  Soft
Used For:  Match and popsicle sticks

Grown by:  Pseudo stakes
Rotation:  12 years.
Hectares Planted:  3.19

 Comments:  The only species that we do not plan to saw up into lumber. It will most likely be sold as logs to manufacturers of match and popsicle sticks.







Pilón, Zapatero
(Euphorbiaceae   Hyeronima alchorneoides)

Wood Type:  General
Used For:  Heavy construction and fine caprentry.

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation:  25 years, commercial thinnings in 12.
Hectares Planted:  3.33

Comments:  A very heavy, strong wood.







Quebracha 

Wood Type:  General
Used For:  Construction

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation: 
Hectares Planted:  0.08

Comments:  Used in construction when a tree happens to be handy, they are not sought out generally. Nothing is really known about them and we planted just a few trees just to see what they do.

No Picture.

Ratoncillo 

Wood Type:  General
Used For:  Construction

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation: 
Hectares Planted:  0.03

Comments:   Used in construction when a tree happens to be handy, they are not sought out generally. Nothing is really known about them and we planted just a few trees just to see what they do.

 No Picture.

Ron-Ron
(Anacardiaceae   Astronium graveolens)

Wood Type:  Precious
Used For:  Furniture and cabinet making, flooring, veneer, paneling and handicrafts.

Grown by:  Seedling bags and direct bare root transplant.
Rotation:  40 - 50 years, commercial thinnings in 20.
Hectares Planted:  7.6

Comments:  Another high value wood near Cristobal's height. It is a beautiful, heavy wood resistant to rot.







Sura
(Combretaceae   Terminalia oblonga)

Wood Type:  Semi precious
Used For:  General construction, flooring, paneling, veneer, furniture and cabinet making.

Grown by:  Seedling bags
Rotation:  25 years, commercial thinnings in 10 years.
Hectares Planted:  0.61

Comments:  A tree that has become hard to find and consequently it is hard to find seed. It is very sought after for wood ceilings and wall paneling.