Tag Archives: Trees

Gallinazo trees in bloom north of Quepos, Costa Rica

By barry | Published: June 14, 2010

Flowering Gallinazo (Schizolobium parahyba) trees between Parrita and Jaco, Costa Rican Pacific coast. It is a pioneer species used for reforestation but the wood is soft and used for pulp, boxes, pallets. Beautiful flowers. Scarlet Macaws like to nest in them because they can find or make a cavity in the wood.

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Growing cocobolo rosewood trees

By barry | Published: June 6, 2010

To the left is one of many Cocobolo ( a rosewood variety) trees that Sarah and I planted 18 years ago. What is really cool is the little guy to the right – a baby Cocobolo! Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa) takes a while to put up a main trunk. This still hasn’t done much, maybe 8 [...]

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Rare highland variety of cocobolo rosewood in Escazu, Costa Rica

By barry | Published: May 31, 2010

I’m so happy about this…I work mainly with Cocobolo, a rosewood of Central America, and eventually learned that sometimes I was buying a highland variety. After some years, I’d found it twice, growing above 4000 ft elevation, and finally found some in seed. We planted some,and after only 8 years three are in seed!

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Doing laundry with tree seeds in Costa Rica

By barry | Published: May 24, 2010

I gathered a hatful of soapseeds below a big tree in the lower pasture, turns out they’re great for doing laundry. Put the rind from 5-6 seeds in a cloth bag and toss them in with non white clothing, does 5 loads. I love the tropics!

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