It was declared as the national tree of Costa Rica on August 31st, 1959, under the government of Mr. Mario Echandi Jimenez, by decree No. 7.
Guanacaste tree was chosen as a tribute to Guanacaste for its annexation to Costa Rica in 1824. It also was due to its immense beauty and greenery, whose shade is similar to the protection that the government offers to all Costa Ricans.
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Guanacaste is an Aztec language, Nahuatl, in which Guautil means tree and Nacaztli mean ear, so that our aborigines called it “ear tree” because its fruits are like the ears of people, a hard glossy pods brown shaped ear.
Its scientific name is Enterolobium Cyclocarpum, belonging to the family Fabaceae Mimosoideae. It is a type of deciduous tree and is considered a perennial tree, for its power and long life, ranging from 60 to 70 years. In their natural state. It is distributed on both coasts, the Pacific and the Atlantic, but is more common in the North Pacific, which is why it was assigned to the province of Guanacaste, with its name.
This tree has a very broad crown, with its extensive leafy branches and permanent greenery. Can reach 15 meters high and 4 meters in diameter; the trunk is thick, a light gray color with nuances. Its flower is white with long stamens; its fruit is a legume which serves as food for wildlife and livestock. The seeds are used to produce handicrafts, as its fruits. They were also used as feedstock for the manufacture of soap due to its high content of saponins. In Costa Rica generally blooms from November to March and produces fruit from January to May.
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