Tree Species (Scientific Name)
Ficus maxima
Livestock Forage
Firewood
Medicinal
Product
English Common Name
Hicatee Fig
Costa Rican Common Name
Chilamate
Tree Family
Moraceae
Average Leaf Size (cm)
12cm
Length
×
7cm
Width
Tree Height
Medium (20–35m)
Elevational Range (m)
0–2100m
0 3000
Distribution
Native
Exotic
Native to Costa Rica

Native to

Region
Americas
Latin America
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Islands
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
Planted by cuttings.
Climate Change Adaptability
unknown

Tree Benefits and Uses

Farmer Uses
  • Livestock Forage
  • Firewood
  • Medicinal
  • Product

Medicinal: The leaves are moistened and applied to snake bites. The leaf infusion is used to treat internal inflammation. The latex is used to treat intestinal parasites, as an antirheumatic.

Product: To bind limestone soils to produce lime.

Firewood: Used as fuel.

Farm Services
  • Coffee Shade
  • Carbon Capture

Coffee shade: Light shade

Carbon capture: Capture and storage of atmospheric carbon.

Biodiversity Benefits
Yes

Attracts biological controllers, Attracts seed dispersers, Attracts pollinators

Rubber trees are trees that provide food for hundreds of species of fauna. Having rubber trees in agricultural systems is essential to help maintain the functioning of the ecological processes that occur in the landscapes around our 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

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). (2024). GBIF. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://www.gbif.org/es