Tree Species (Scientific Name)
Heliocarpus americanus
Firewood
Lumber
Product
English Common Name
White moho
Costa Rican Common Name
Balso, balso blanco, majagua, pestaña de mula
Tree Family
Malvaceae
Average Leaf Size (cm)
15cm
Length
×
16cm
Width
Tree Height
Large (> 35m)
Elevational Range (m)
30–2500m
0 3000
Distribution
Native
Exotic
Native to Costa Rica

Native to

Region
Americas
Latin America
Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela
Costa Rica
Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, San José

Exotic in

Hawaii, Trinidad-Tobago, Windward Islands

Coffee Agroforestry Information

Coffee System
Arabica
Coffee Impact
Beneficial to coffee
Cultivation
Planted
Natural
Regeneration
Regenerates Naturally
Tree Management
Planted by cuttings and seeds. It produces nuts in the shape of tabs that house one to two seeds.
Climate Change Adaptability
unknown

Tree Benefits and Uses

Farmer Uses
  • Firewood
  • Lumber
  • Product

Product: The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a source of wood and fiber. The bark of young branches produces a strong, durable fiber from which thick rope is made. It is also used to weave mats and baskets; the bark has a mucilage that is used to clarify panela.

Firewood: Used as fuel.

Wood: Used to make boxes, toys and pencils.

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: Soil conservation and recovery; Contribution of organic matter.

Protection of bodies of water: Care and decontamination of waters.

Biodiversity Benefits
Yes

Attracts biological controllers, Attracts seed dispersers, Attracts pollinators

The rafts attract a variety of insects, from predators to bugs and other groups that feed on plants. This is why they are so visited by insectivorous birds, including resident and migratory fine-billed species (for example, warblers), which we want to attract so much.

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