Ready to Reforest?

List compiled by Tree MA Patricia

This list has been specially and specifically compiled for reforestation projects in the Southern Nicoya Peninsula although the recommendations may apply to other areas of Costa Rica or Central America.

• Ron Ron
• Cocobolo (does loose their leaves in the summer)
• Quina (Medicinal against malaria)
• Cachimbo
• Níspero de bosque (very endangered, very slow growing, has been cut for it’s hard long lasting wood in construction)
• Guayabon
• Seiba Pentandra 

• Lorito (fast growing, easy to find in nurseries, but make sure they are the wild forest variety.
• Espavel
• Gavilan
• Guayaba de mono (good food source for howlers)
• Caoba
• Ojoche (good food source for animals and you can make flower from the seeds for bread, beautiful shiny green leaves)
• Almendro de Montana
• Panama

• Jacaranda, a medium to tall tree, purple flowers
• Llama de bosque, medium to tall tree big red flowers
• Orchidea de Palo, small tree, can be closer to the house, has beautiful orchid flowers
• Orgullo de la India, Medium /big tree, Beautiful purple flowers.

• Canufistula (or Lluvia de Oro), Beautiful big hanging yellow flowers. Small tree.
• Malinche, medium tree with red flowers. (keeps its leaves and your area is so dry in the summer).

These are forest trees that are very good to reforest with. You may want to plant several of them:

• Lorito, very fine beautiful leaves. Can be planted half way the hill down below and even higher up. If they get too tall it can be pruned easily. Fast growing.
• Ojoche, the seeds are edible to humans and great for wild animals. You can make flower to bake with from the seeds. Good survival food.
• Laurel de la India, This is not a native, very fast growing ficus, gets big. You want to plant the native ficus as well it is called:
• Higaron, you can plant that down below, Great to plant for the monkeys they love the ficus trees and they are beautiful. There are many ficus varieties. You can get a stick from a wild ficus and stick it in the ground. I can get you some later.
• Coconuts, best to plant the dwarves closer to the house, they produce in 3 years

Jicara, this is the GOURD tree, is good to use to carve or make fun things out of, it is a small tree, no flowers, but has the big gourds hanging.

Get all INHERTADO, (GRAFTED) so they produce early. You have to keep cutting off the shoots below the graft.

• Coconuts, best to plant the dwarves closer to the house, they produce in 3 years.
• Other Palms: Multiple, Multiple Rojo (red stems) Fish tail, Navideño, Palma Real and many more (there are 2500 varieties!)

For trees you can check out all the nurseries, the first 2 have more types of trees usualy. They all have different plants.

• DAMARIS AND MANUEL, after the turn of to Malpais from Cobano, take a right in “los mangos” and go straight to the end of the road where there is a fork. Manuel comes to the Saturday market and Friday market in Cobano, you can order things.
• LA HOJA VERDE, in Delicias, Breck speaks English
• VIVERO LANCON, before Futuro Verde School.
• FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES, there is a nursery near the Tempiske bridge.  It is good to go "co-op style" and place orders.