Guanacaste/Elephant-Ear Tree | endemiccostarica

The Elephant-Ear Tree grows to around 100 feet tall (30m) in the tropical rainforests. Its trunk reaches around 12 feet in diameter (3.5m). The Elephant-Ear tree is know for is large shape, its extensive crown, and its different yet beautiful seedpods.
The tree lacks the presence of any buttresses, but it still remains sturdy long, thick, trunk with light gray and maroon bark.
Its leaves grow to around 10 inches long (25 cm) and 7 inches long (20 cm).

Guanacaste/Elephant-Ear Tree - Enterolobium Cyclocarpum

The Elepant-Ear Tree not only portrays extreme beauty, but it is also the national tree of Costa Rica. Mr. Mario Echandi Jimenez declared it the national tree in 1959.
- Believed that the large range of shade the Guanacaste tree provides shade simular to the protection given by the government
The ear-shaped seedpods and fruit are constantly made to produce handitcrafts. They were also used as an ingrediant for soap.

Mario Enchandi Jimenez who made the Guanacaste tree the national tree of Costa Rica

The ear-shaped seedpods of the Elephant-Ear tree

The Guanacaste tree's fruit and seedpods look simular to the shape of a human ear.
- Its white flowers generally bloom from Novermber to March, and its fruit is produced from January to May.
Because of logging, these Elephant-Ear Tree remains one of the only trees left from a large rainforest. (In specific areas) As cattle started inhabiting the land, the Guanacaste provided many important assets. It provides shade for the animals, provides shade to grow other plants supporting many different sepcies, and even provides essential nutrition with its seedpods.