Tree Species (Scientific Name)
Hamelia patens
Food
Medicinal
Ornamental
English Common Name
Scarletbush
Costa Rican Common Name
Coralillo, bencenuco, coral
Tree Family
Rubiaceae
Average Leaf Size (cm)
9cm
Length
×
4cm
Width
Tree Height
Small (10–20m)
Elevational Range (m)
0–3700m
0 3000+
Distribution
Native
Exotic
Native to Costa Rica

Native to

Region
Americas
Latin America
Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Florida, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Southwest Caribbean, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Islands
Costa Rica
Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limón, Puntarenas, San José

Exotic in

Himalayas

Coffee Agroforestry Information

Coffee System
Arabica
Coffee Impact
Beneficial to coffee
Cultivation
Planted
Natural
Regeneration
Regenerates Naturally
Tree Management
Propagated and planted in a nursery by seeds and cuttings.
Climate Change Adaptability
unknown

Tree Benefits and Uses

Farmer Uses
  • Food
  • Medicinal
  • Ornamental

Medicinal: The tea from its leaves is used as an antihemorrhagic, healing, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, analgesic and muscle relaxant.

Ornamental: Used to adorn and/or decorate spaces.

Farm Services
  • Carbon Capture

Carbon capture: Capture and storage of atmospheric carbon.

Biodiversity Benefits
Yes

Attracts biological controllers, Attracts seed dispersers, Attracts pollinators

These small trees are from the same coffee family. They can serve to create different strata in the shade and facilitate the descent of insectivorous birds to the coffee plantation. Its fruits are consumed by several species of birds and its flowers attract various species of native bees. In these trees you can see different species of beneficial insects, from ants and beetles to bees and wasps.

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

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

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