Panama tree

According to one theory, this mighty tree gave its name to the country and its capital.

A tall tree growing 30–40 m tall, with a straight, buttressed trunk and a broad crown of large, palmately lobed leaves. In the dry season it sheds its leaves and bears bell-shaped, yellowish flowers speckled with purple. The fruits are woody follicles arranged in a star, lined inside with stinging hairs; they hold edible seeds that taste like nuts when roasted. It grows in dry and semi-humid lowland forests.

Significance in the country

The árbol panamá was declared the national tree in 1969; tradition has it that it grew at the site of a former fishing village from which Panama City, founded in 1519, took its name. It grows in squares and along roads in many of the country’s towns.

Where it grows

Lowlands across almost the whole country, most abundant on the drier Pacific slope – in the provinces of Panamá, Coclé, Herrera, Los Santos and Veraguas; often planted in towns.

More: Wikipedia (en)