Tree Species (Scientific Name)
Heliocarpus americanus
Fuelwood
Lumber
Product
Colombian Common Name
Balso, balso blanco, majagua, pestaña de mula
Tree Family
Malvaceae
Average Leaf Size (cm)
15cm
Length
×
16cm
Width
Tree Height
Large (> 35m)
Elevational Range (m)
30–2500m
Distribution
Native
Exotic
Native to Colombia
Native to
Region
Americas
Latin America
Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela
Colombia
Antioquia, Boyacá, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Huila, Nariño, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca
Exotic in
Latin America
Hawaii, Trinidad-Tobago, Windward Islands
Coffee Agroforestry Information
Coffee System
Arabica
Coffee Impact
Beneficial to coffee
Cultivation
Planted
Natural
Tree Management
Planted by cuttings and seeds. It produces nuts in the shape of eyelashes that contain one to two seeds.
Tree Benefits and Uses
Farmer Uses
- Fuelwood
- Lumber
- Product
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a source of lumber and fiber. The bark of the young branches produces a strong, durable fiber which is used to make a thick rope. It is also used to weave mats and baskets. Its bark has a fluid used for panela clarification. Used to make boxes, toys and pencils.
Farm Services
- Coffee Shade
- Windbreak
- Soil Improvement
- Carbon Capture
- Water Protection
Used for water protection and decontamination
Biodiversity Benefits
Yes
Attracts biological control agents, Attracts seed dispersers, Attracts pollinators. Attracts a variety of insects, from predatory insects to other groups of insects that feed on plants. This is why they are so visited by insectivorous birds, including resident and migratory species with slender bills such as warblers that producers generally want visiting their farms.
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/;
Fern, Ken (2024). Tropical Plants Database. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://tropical.theferns.info/;
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/