Planted naturally by seed dispersal and in the nursery by seeds or cuttings. The seeds are dispersed by the wind. The species drops its leaves during the dry season.
Tree Species (Scientific Name)
Cedrela odorata
Livestock Forage
Firewood
Lumber
Medicinal
Ornamental
Product
Ceremonial
English Common Name
Spanish cedar, Cedar Wood, West Indian Cedar
Costa Rican Common Name
Cedro, cedro rosado, cedro amargo
Tree Family
Meliaceae
Average Leaf Size (cm)
50cm
Length
×
25cm
Width
Tree Height
Large (> 35m)
Elevational Range (m)
0–2700m
Distribution
Native
Exotic
Native to Costa Rica
Native to
Region
Americas
Latin America
Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Southwest Caribbean, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Islands
Costa Rica
Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limón, Puntarenas, San José
Exotic in
Bangladesh, Cameroon, China, Comoros, Galapagos, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Madagascar, New Caledonia, Northern Provinces, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda
Coffee Agroforestry Information
Coffee System
Arabica
Coffee Impact
Beneficial to coffee
Cultivation
Planted
Natural
Regeneration
Regenerates Naturally
Tree Management
Climate Change Adaptability
high
Tree Benefits and Uses
Farmer Uses
- Livestock Forage
- Firewood
- Lumber
- Medicinal
- Ornamental
- Product
- Ceremonial
Animal fodder: Used to feed farm animals.
Medicinal: The infusion of the leaves is used to relieve toothache and earache, and dysentery as an antibiotic; an infusion of the bark is used to stop bleeding in women; the latex is used to soothe the symptoms of bronchitis; the outside of the root is used to treat epilepsy; in addition to having a healing and digestive effect.
Firewood: Used as fuel.
Wood / Product: Appreciated for carpentry and cabinetmaking, fine furniture, construction, musical instruments, canoes, crafts (fruits).
Farm Services
- Coffee Shade
- Windbreak
- Soil Improvement
- Carbon Capture
- Protection Of Water Bodies
Coffee shade: Light shade
Carbon capture: Capture and storage of atmospheric carbon.
Soil improvement: Conservation and recovery of soils. In the dry season they stop providing shade and at the same time they add organic matter to the soil, in addition to flowers, branches and capsules.
Protection of bodies of water: Care and decontamination of waters.
Biodiversity Benefits
Yes
Attracts biological controllers, Attracts seed dispersers, Attracts pollinators
Its leaves are usually covered by white scale insects. Due to the presence of several small flying insects, several species of insectivorous birds are attracted to these trees, including slender-billed species. Both resident and migratory birds can be seen there searching for insects.
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
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). (2024). Checklist of CITES species. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://checklist.cites.org/#/es Román, F., De Liones, R., Sautu, A., Deago, J., & Hall, J. S. (2012). Guía para la propagación de 120 especies de árboles nativos de Panamá y el neotrópico. Retrieved from https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/20967/stri_GUIA_PROPAGACION.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
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
Cárdenas, L. M. (2016). Aspectos ecológicos y silviculturales para el manejo de especies forestales: Revisión de información disponible para Colombia. Fundación Natura. Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
World Flora Online. (2024). World Flora Online. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://www.worldfloraonline.org
de Sousa K, van Zonneveld M, Imbach P, Casanoves F, Kindt R, Ordoñez JC 2017, Atlas de aptitud de especies agroforestales claves bajo climas futuros en América Central. ICRAF Artículo Ocasional No. 26. Turrialba-Costa Rica. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). (2024). GBIF. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://www.gbif.org/es