Plant Story

This tree can grow up to 25 meters tall with flowers that, albeit small, have a strong fragrance that attracts a great quantity of insects. The fruits turn red when ripe and are eaten by the local fauna, mainly tree-dwelling mammals and large birds. The wood is hard and white in color, and has been used to make tool handles, primarily for axes. It can be found from Mexico to Peru, mainly in humid forests near stream valleys. In Costa Rica it grows in the humid forests on both the Atlantic and Pacific slopes.