Costa Rica
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Tree Species (Scientific Name)
Erythrina poeppigiana
Food
Livestock Forage
Firewood
Lumber
Medicinal
Ornamental
Product
English Common Name
Mountain Immortelle
Costa Rican Common Name
Poró gigante, Poró extrangero
Tree Family
Fabaceae
Average Leaf Size (cm)
25cm
Length
×
15cm
Width
Tree Height
Large (> 35m)
Elevational Range (m)
0–2500m
0 3000
Distribution
Native
Exotic
Exotic in Costa Rica

Native to

Region
Americas
Latin America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Panama, Peru, Venezuela

Exotic in

Angola, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Gulf Of Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Java, Kenya, Leeward Islands, Malaysia, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Trinidad-Tobago, Uganda, Windward Islands, Zaire
Costa Rica
Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limón, Puntarenas, San José

Coffee Agroforestry Information

Coffee System
Arabica
Coffee Impact
Beneficial to coffee
Cultivation
Planted
Natural
Regeneration
Regenerates Naturally
Tree Management
Propagated by seeds and cuttings.
Climate Change Adaptability
high
Derived from information reported from the sister species Erythrina berteroana Urb.

Tree Benefits and Uses

Farmer Uses
  • Food
  • Livestock Forage
  • Firewood
  • Lumber
  • Medicinal
  • Ornamental
  • Product

Food: Flowers and leaves are edible.

Animal fodder: Highly sought after by farm animals, seeds and seedlings are eaten.

Medicinal: Used for its analgesic, relaxing and digestive effects.

Product: Used as an insecticide.

Firewood: Used as fuel.

Wood: Used for construction and cabinetmaking as it is very durable.

Farm Services
  • Coffee Shade
  • Windbreak
  • Soil Improvement
  • Nitrogen Fixation
  • 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.

Nitrogen fixation: Helps in fixing nitrogen in the soil in the root zone.

Protection of water bodies: Care and decontamination of waters.

Biodiversity Benefits
Yes

Attracts biological controllers, Attracts seed dispersers, Attracts pollinators

Its flowers attract hummingbirds and many insects. This abundance of insects makes these trees a great attraction for many species of birds, not just insectivores. Among the birds that specialize in eating insects, there are resident and migratory species that can be seen there. During its flowering, its crowns are constantly visited by hummingbirds and many other birds that search for its nectar and pollen.

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

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

Universidad Nacional de Colombia. (2024). Nombres Comunes de las Plantasde Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). (2024). GBIF. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://www.gbif.org/es

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