Plant Story

This tree reaches up to 18 meters tall with characteristic grooves in the trunk. It is relatively common around the Osa Biological Research Station in Costa Rica and often is overlooked until in blossom when it produces an abundance of yellow flowers that attract large quantities of insects. The fruits turn purple when ripe and are eaten by birds. It can be found growing in humid, seasonal forests, coastal jungles, mangroves, and along stream banks. It has been seen from Costa Rica to the northwestern part of Colombia. In Costa Rica, it grows from the Carara National Park in the central Pacific to the southern region.