Trees

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
The second best time is now.”
Chinese Proverb

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Renal and Reyes plant noni trees.

When Refugio de Los Angeles was purchased in the early 1990s, cattle and coffee were good sources of income for the former owner, Señor Otonel Vargas. The Pacific Slope has many fine attributes, but erosion protection on the steep terrain has not been one of them. Years of cattle grazing and clearing for growing coffee have made landslides a frequent occurrence in this region. To prevent erosion on his property, while still maintaining a cash crop, Sr. Vargas planted thirty-five acres of the quick growing Melina tree, a native hardwood found throughout Asia.

Photo of a trail over a crest and up out of the ravine on the other side
A trail in the hills.

After the sale to the current owner, cutting the Melina trees as soon as they reached their growth potential was a priority. To achieve the goal of returning the property to the bio-diverse ecosystem of many years past, there was much research and work to do. A system of trails was built on the property to make possible the planting and preservation of trees that were disappearing from the region. This initial network of trails was designed to prevent erosion and to provide the accessibility necessary for maintenance of the reforested areas. The trail system has since been greatly expanded for the benefit of hiking and wandering. The TRAILS page has more information.

Photograph of a shovel, a spade and a pick on the steps of a trail system.
Trail building on Refugio de Los Angeles.

Visits to local farming cooperatives in search of seeds of native and indigenous species produced encouraging results. But the reforestation project really moved ahead after hiking around Quebrada Grande with the locals who knew where to find once common but now nearly extinct trees. In 2002, seeds and cuttings from over 30 scarce varieties of indigenous and native trees were brought to Refugio de Los Angeles. The saplings matured in the nursery for two years before planting.

Photo of a young man well up a Guayabon Sura tree, standing on a large limb
Peter Jacobs in a majestic Guayabon Sura.

The thirty-five acres planted to the Melina mono crop, could now be harvested and replaced with native and indigenous varieties of hardwoods, and fruit trees. Almost 13 years have passed since the ongoing reforestation project was begun. The effort to find, plant and nurture trees that were once all but lost to deforestation has now restored this property to a vibrant, beautiful, bio-diverse environment.

Photo of a huge double bunch of green bananas in a tree with huge fronds.
Several varieties of bananas are plentiful on the property.

Partial List of Trees at Refugio de Los Angeles

 A complete list of all trees on the property would require a field study with an arborist because there are many species yet to be identified.
English Spanish Latin
Angel’s Hair Lorito/Cabello de Angel Cojoba arborea
Avocado Aguacate
A young girl, smiling, with two large avacados.
Sharing home grown avacados.
Balsa Balsa
Bitterwood Hombre grande Quassia amara
Brazilian Copal/Stinking Toe Guapinol Hymenaea courbaril
Photo of a woman sitting in a Guapinol tree with her feet perched atop a rough hewn ladder.
Eleanor Olmsted rests in a Guapinol with a great view.
Cacao Cacao Theobroma cacao
Carambola/Star Fruit Carambola
Cashew Maranon
Cecropia Tree Guarumo Cecropia obtusifolia
Cherry Cereza
Coconut tree Palma de coco Cocos nucifera
A man, up in a tree, cuts coconuts loose.
Harvesting coconuts at Refugio de Los Angeles.
Photograph of a Coral Shower tree.
The pods of the Carao have many medicinal uses.
Coral Shower/Sandal Carao Cassia grandis
Cow’s Tongue Lengua de vaca Conostegia xalapensis
Dwarf Poinciana Hojasén Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Ecuador laurel Laurel
Fig Tree Higueron
Flamboyant/Royal Poinciana Malinche/Flamboyan
Cis, Renal and ... carry a tree sapling in preparation for planting.
Preparing to plant a 2 year old Flamboyant.
Flame of the Forest Llama del bosque
Fustic Maclura tinctoria
Gallinazo Schizolobium parahyba
Golden Shower Cañafistula Cassia fistula
Grapefruit Toronja
Two men with a wheel barrow full of grapefruits and coconuts.
Gathering grapefruits and coconuts.
Guachipelin Diphysa Americana
Guacimo/West Indian Elm Guacimo Guazuma ulmifolia
Guanacaste/Ear Tree Guanacaste Enterolobium cyclocarpum
Guava Guayaba Psidium guajava
Guayabon Sura Sura Terminalia oblonga
Guayaquil Pseudosamanea guachapele
Jobo Spondias mombin
Jumbie Bean/White Lead tree Ipil Ipil Leucaena leucocphala
Kapok tree/Silk cotton tree Ceiba
Lemon Limon
Mandarins/Tangerine Mandarina
A woman kneels in front of a bowl of mandarins, a towel full of mandarins and a pineapple and a watermelon.
Betty Mora selects tangerines for juicing.
Mango Mango
Melina Melina Gmelina arborea
Moringa Moringa Moringa oleifera
Mother of cacao/Quick stick Madero negro Gliricidia sepium
Naked Indian tree/Gumbo limbo Indio desnudo Bursera simaruba
Nance/Shoemaker’s tree Nance/Nancite Bryrsonima crassifolia
Noni Noni Morinda citrifolia
Orange Naranja
Photo of a low hanging branch of an orange tree loaded with large oranges.
Orange trees thrive at Refugio de Los Angeles.
Orchid tree Bauhinia variegata
Papaya Papaya Carica papaya
Photograph of a fruiting papaya tree at the base of a guayaba sura tree
Papaya tree.
Pau d’arco Cortez negro Tabebuia impetiginosa
Pentaclethra Gavilan Pentaclethra macroloba
Perfume tree Ylang-ylang Ilan-ilan
Pine Pino
Pink Trumpet Tree Roble de Sabana Tabebuia rosea
Plumeria/Frangipani Flor Blanca Plumeria rubra
Pochote/Spiny cedar Pochote/Cedro espinoso Pachira quinata
Photo of a large Ancient Pochote tree.
Ancient Pochote.
Quebracho Quebracho Lysiloma divaricatum
Queen’s Crape myrtle Orgullo de India
Rain tree/Saman Cenizaro
Red Targua Targua Croton gossypifolius
Ronron Astronium graveolens
Rose apple/Plum rose Manzana Rosa
Rosewood Cocobolo Dalbergia retusa
Saino Caesaipinia eriostachys
Silk Tree/Buttercup Tree Poroporo
Sour Orange Naranja agria
Soursop Guanábana Annona muricata
Southern Chestnut Carboncillo Acosmium panamense
Spanish Cedar Cedro Amargo
Spanish Cedar Cedro Caoba
Tabebuia/Yellow cortez Cortez Amarillo
Teak Teca
Tonka Bean Almendro de monte
Trema Capulin Trema integerrima
Tropical almond Almendro de playa
Water apple/Malay apple Manzana de agua
Wild Cashew Espavel
Wild Tree Tobacco Guitite
Yellow Oleander Café de la Montana

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A Private Nature Preserve For Sale