Nature Field Guide
Buttonwood
- Spanish name
- Mangle botoncillo / Botoncillo
- Scientific name
- Conocarpus erectus
What Do Pico & Tati Think?
Pico: “Small buttonlike fruit heads help identify this coastal tree or shrub.”
Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”
Species overview
About the Buttonwood
Buttonwood carries simple alternate leaves and round clustered heads that become brown as they mature. Their buttonlike appearance explains the English name. Leaf color and growth form can vary, so compare several features.
It often grows toward the landward edge of coastal mangrove vegetation. That position offers a chance to notice how plants change across a shoreline. Observe from a permitted route and avoid assuming every coastal tree stands in salt water all day.
Identification
Key Features of the Buttonwood
Simple alternate leaves
Round buttonlike fruit heads
Often at the landward mangrove edge
Habitat & range
Coastal margins, including documented mangrove-edge habitat at Tivives and the North Pacific. Gandoca provides a documented Caribbean example.
Local observations
Native to Costa Rica. Local presence and abundance depend on suitable habitat and growing conditions.
When to observe
Leaves and growth form can be observed whenever the plant is accessible. Flowering and fruiting vary with location, weather and the individual plant; ask a local guide about current conditions.
Conservation & care
Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.
Threats & pressures
Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.
Observation activity
Sketch a shoreline from water to dry land and place buttonwood near the landward edge.
Explore by location
Caribbean · Central Pacific · Guanacaste · Puntarenas & the Gulf Islands · South Pacific · Guanacaste · Limón · Puntarenas