Nature Field Guide
Bejuco Cucharilla
- Spanish name
- Bejuco cucharilla
- Scientific name
- Bignonia diversifolia
What Do Pico & Tati Think?
Meet the plant behind Abu’s basket. Bejuco cucharilla is a woody climbing vine, also called a liana. It grows with the support of other plants. Its leafy shoots and lilac tubular flowers offer clues to its identity.
Costa Rican craft references document cucharilla as a material for woven baskets. Woody vine material can become more flexible when moistened, allowing a skilled maker to shape and weave it. A basket begins with a plant and takes form through patient work.
In our story, Abu learned to weave from her mother. Now she invites Pico and Tati to learn too. Her family history is fictional, while the connection between this vine and Costa Rican basket making is documented.
Scientific name note: Kew accepts Bignonia diversifolia. Many Costa Rican botanical and craft sources use the synonym Cydista diversifolia.
Identification
Key Features of the Bejuco Cucharilla
A woody climbing stem rather than a self-supporting tree trunk.
Opposite compound leaves, typically with two leaflets and sometimes a simple tendril.
Smooth-edged leaflets with pointed tips and a rounded or somewhat heart-shaped base.
Lilac to pinkish tubular flowers; young branches have a distinctly angular, four-sided form.
Habitat & range
Documented in Costa Rica’s lowland forests, including deciduous and semideciduous forest in Guanacaste. Botanical collections include Nandayure and Barra Honda on the Nicoya Peninsula.
Local observations
Botanical records confirm the species in Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula. A specific Tamarindo occurrence has not been verified for this card. Common names alone do not identify every vine used by a basket maker.
When to observe
Leaves and woody stems provide clues when present. ACG reports flowering near the beginning and middle of the rainy season; timing varies locally.
Conservation & care
Observe and photograph vines without cutting or pulling them. Leave wild plants and flowers in place. Learn about materials from a knowledgeable artisan and use paper or responsibly sourced craft materials for your own weaving.
Observation activity
Look closely at a woven basket. Trace one strip as it passes over and under others. Try a simple paper-strip weave with an adult. Ask a family member which skill they learned from someone older.