Nature Field Guide
Lemonwood
- Spanish name
- Madroño
- Scientific name
- Calycophyllum candidissimum
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 Lemonwood
Madrono has a smooth-looking trunk that sheds thin flakes of reddish bark. Its pale flower clusters can make the crown stand out against surrounding foliage. The name madrono is also used for other plants, so the scientific name matters.
Identification
Key Features of the Lemonwood
Reddish peeling bark
Opposite simple leaves
Dense pale flower clusters
Habitat & range
Lowland seasonal forest and wooded stream margins.
Local observations
Museum specimens document Guanacaste, Cabo Blanco and Puntarenas, the Tarcoles drainage, and the Terraba Valley. 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
Central Pacific · Guanacaste · Puntarenas & the Gulf Islands · South Pacific