Nature Field Guide
Spanish Elm
- Spanish name
- Laurel
- Scientific name
- Cordia alliodora
What Do Pico & Tati Think?
Pico wants to sketch the tree’s silhouette. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?
Species overview
About the Spanish Elm
Laurel is a native tree that can grow tall with a relatively slender trunk. Small white flowers appear in clusters. Alternate simple leaves and swollen branch nodes help separate it from unrelated trees also called laurel.
Identification
Key Features of the Spanish Elm
Clusters of small white flowers
Simple alternate pointed leaves
Swollen nodes along smaller branches
Habitat & range
Forest edges and secondary forest in dry to very wet climates.
Local observations
OTS explicitly reports low elevations on both slopes; tags represent suitable mainland lowlands, not every site. Regional tags are evidence-based connections, not a guarantee at every location or an exhaustive range.
When to observe
Visit in daylight and compare leaves, flowers and fruits. Flowering and fruiting vary by place, weather and individual plant; a plant may not be in bloom during your visit.
Conservation & care
Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.
Observation activity
Draw one leaf and one other feature without picking anything. Compare your sketch with the illustration and record whether you saw flowers, fruits or neither.
Explore by location
Caribbean · Central Pacific · Guanacaste · Northern Plains · Puntarenas & the Gulf Islands · South Pacific