Tree Species (Scientific Name)
Hamelia patens
Food
Medicinal
Ornamental
English Common Name
Scarletbush
Colombian Common Name
Coralillo, bencenuco, coral
Tree Family
Rubiaceae
Average Leaf Size (cm)
9cm
Length
×
4cm
Width
Tree Height
Small (10–20m)
Elevational Range (m)
0–3700m
Distribution
Native
Exotic
Native to Colombia
Native to
Region
Americas
Latin America
Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Florida, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Southwest Caribbean, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Islands
Colombia
Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Huila, Nariño, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca
Exotic in
Latin America
Asia
Coffee Agroforestry Information
Coffee System
Arabica
Coffee Impact
Beneficial to coffee
Cultivation
Planted
Natural
Tree Management
Propagated by seeds and cuttings planted in a nursery.
Tree Benefits and Uses
Farmer Uses
- Food
- Medicinal
- Ornamental
Used to adorn and decorate spaces.
Farm Services
- Carbon Capture
Capture and storage of atmospheric carbon.
Biodiversity Benefits
Yes
Attracts biological control agents, Attracts seed dispersers, Attracts pollinators. These small trees are from the same family as coffee. They can be used to create different layers in the shade canopy and attract insectivorous birds into the coffee plantation. Fruits are consumed by different birds and its flowers attract several species of native bees. In these little trees you can find different species of beneficial insects, from ants and beetles to bees and wasps.
Citations
Citations
Plants of the World Online (POWO). (2024). Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/;
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (2024). IUCN Red List. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://www.iucnredlist.org/;
United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Service. (2024). Plants Database. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://plants.usda.gov/home/;
Fern, Ken (2024). Tropical Plants Database. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://tropical.theferns.info/;
Universidad EIA. (2024). Catálogo virtual de Flora del Valle de Aburrá. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://catalogofloravalleaburra.eia.edu.co/;
World Flora Online. (2024). World Flora Online. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://www.worldfloraonline.org/;
Universidad Nacional de Colombia. (2024). Nombres Comunes de las Plantasde Colombia. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/es/;
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). (2024). GBIF. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://www.gbif.org/es/