Tree Species (Scientific Name)
Ochroma pyramidale
Lumber
Medicinal
Ornamental
Product
Ceremonial
English Common Name
Corkwood, Downtree, Balsa wood, West Indian balsa, Balsa
Colombian Common Name
Balso, Balso real, Balso algodón, Tambor, Samo
Tree Family
Malvaceae
Average Leaf Size (cm)
38cm
Length
×
30cm
Width
Tree Height
Medium (20–35m)
Elevational Range (m)
0–1800m
Distribution
Native
Exotic
Native to Colombia
Native to
Region
Americas
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Central American Pacific Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Golfo de Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Islands
Colombia
Antioquia, Caldas, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Huila, Nariño, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca
Exotic in
Latin America
Africa
Coffee Agroforestry Information
Coffee System
Arabica
Coffee Impact
Unknown
Cultivation
Planted
Natural
Tree Management
Propagated by seeds, It is highly sensitive to transplantation.
Tree Benefits and Uses
Farmer Uses
- Lumber
- Medicinal
- Ornamental
- Product
- Ceremonial
Used to adorn and decorate spaces and riverbanks.
Its bark is used to treat baldness, and the roots decoction is used as diuretic and to treat syphilis. Juice from its leaves dissolved in water is used for baths which is believed to soothe headaches.
The cottony material that surrounds the seed is used as pillow stuffing, and the living bark is a good source of ties for construction and securing packages.
Several indigenous communities attribute to the balsam tree a magical-religious quality, considering it important in healing as wel as cursing rituals.
Used to make toys, model airplanes, windmills, as a thermal and acoustic insulator, navigation rafts, buoys, fishing nets, hooks, and handicrafts.
Farm Services
- Coffee Shade
- Reforestation
Shade. Forest restoration, it is a pioneer species. Used for water protection and decontamination. Degraded soils stabilization.
Biodiversity Benefits
Yes
Attracts seed dispersers, as fruits are consumed by frugivorous mammals and birds. Provides wildlife habitat.
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/;
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 Plantas de 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/
Sistema de Información sobre Biodiversidad de Colombia (SIB) (2024). Catálogo de la Biodiversidad. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from: https://catalogo.biodiversidad.co/
Catálogo virtual de flora del valle de Aburrá. Retrieved from: https://catalogofloravalleaburra.eia.edu.co/species/117
Giraldo P, Laina A, López JH, Aguirre JF, Toro J. (2009). Café, una alternativa para la Conservación. Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF Colombia, Asociación Red Colombiana de Reservas Naturales de la Sociedad Civil, Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia
Acero, LE (2005). Plantas útiles de la cuenca del Orinoco. BP Exploration Company (Colombia) Limited, Ecopetrol y Corporinoquia
Sociedad Antioqueña de Ornitología-SAO (2009). Vida, color y canto. Plantas neotropicales que atraen aves