Hello everyone! We are happy to see you here. In this article, we are going to explore different types of Brazilian trees and learn a bit about each one.
So, without further ado, let us begin!
1. Brazil Nut Tree
The Brazilian Nut Tree (Bertholletia excelsa) is one of the most common trees in tropical rainforests, and it grows up to 25 meters tall.
It is native to South America, where it has been found growing from Colombia southwards through Central America and throughout much of West Africa to Nigeria.
The tree can be identified by its large size, bright green foliage, long leathery leaves, broad spreading branches, and distinctive fruit.
2. Rubber Tree
The Rubber Tree or Hevea brasiliensis is an evergreen perennial shrub that produces latex sap when cut or damaged.
The plant is widely cultivated for its latex, which is harvested and processed into commercial products such as natural latex gloves and medical balloons.
In addition to these uses, the latex serves as a raw material for many industrial applications including adhesives, caulking compounds, sealants, cosmetics, and much more.
3. Silk Cotton Tree
The Silk Cotton Tree (Attalea phalerata), also known as the Indian Palm Tree, is a medium-sized deciduous palm tree with very fine white flowers that bloom in spring.
This species originated in Asia but was first introduced to North America during the late 18th century. The tree’s Latin name means “beautiful leaf.”
4. Golden Trumpet Tree
The Golden Trumpet Tree (Drimys winteri) is a small evergreen coniferous tree that bears brilliant orange fruits resembling trumpets.
It is native to Brazil, Southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and many other countries.
They can grow up to fifty feet tall and are often planted as street trees because they have thick fibrous bark that makes them resistant to fire.
5. Paraná Pine
The Paraná pine (Araucaria angustifolia) is a species of conifer endemic to southern Brazil. It is native only to a narrow strip along the coast between Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states.
Although it has been used extensively for timber since colonial times, this fast-growing tree is now considered endangered due to overharvesting.
It is one of the largest living pines, reaching heights of 196 feet and 262 feet tall
6. Theobroma Cacao Tree
The cacao tree (Tropaeolum majus) is grown as a food crop in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Its seeds and pods contain high levels of caffeine, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, and vitamins A and B1.
Cocoa beans and chocolate made from fresh cocoa beans are both rich sources of antioxidants, including flavonoids, carotenoids, and polyphenols.
These compounds may help protect against heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis.
7. The Walking Palm
The Walking Palm (Bactris gasipaes) is a leguminous evergreen tree native to tropical regions of Mexico, Guatemala,
El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and northern Brazil.
It is commonly called the walking banana, and it can reach heights of 30–60 ft.
8. Rosewood Tree
Rosewood is wood from several types of plants, especially those in the genus Dalbergia. Rosewood trees grow in tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates around the world.
The best-known type of rosewood comes from the coastal forests of Western India. Other important locations include Madagascar, Sri Lanka, China, and Indonesia.
However, there are no legal restrictions on harvesting rosewood outside protected areas.
9. Brazilwood Tree
The Brazilian Wood (Schinopsis lorentzii; syn: Schinus lorentzii) is a tree belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, native to the Amazon Basin in South America.
It grows to about 131 feet in height and 164 meters across at maturity. The trunk is covered by a layer of corky tissue, which protects the inner tissues from drying out as the tree matures.
The sapwood is yellowish-brown in color, while the heartwood is dark reddish-brown. The wood contains tannins, resins, essential oils, and various phenolic compounds. The oil extracted from its leaves is used as an insect repellent.
10. Myriad Palm
The Myriad Palm (Nypa fruticans), also known as the water chestnut or Chinese fan palm, is a large deciduous canopy palm native to Southeast Asia.
Its fruit resembles a watermelon with five-lobed segments surrounding a central seed pod.
The plant was first described in 1853 by German botanist Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in Europe and North America.
11. Kapol Tree
The Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra), also known as the Ceiba, is a slow-growing neotropical rainforest tree that belongs to the Bombacoideae subfamily of Sapindales.
It occurs naturally throughout Central and South America, extending into western North America. In its natural habitat, it reaches a height of up to 145 feet and has a diameter of 4.9 to 6.5 feet.
The tree produces numerous papery capsules containing air pockets, which are used for making ropes and mattresses.
12. Huimba Tree
The huimbá or uímbi (Araucaria angustifolia) is a medium-sized coniferous tree found in the dry forest region of south-central Brazil.
This species has been widely planted throughout Latin America, where it is used as a source of timber, paper pulp, and charcoal.
Huimbá is one of the most common species of Araucarias in the area, but the quality of the wood varies greatly depending on location. The wood is pale gray and coarse textured.
13. Algaroba Tree
The Algaroba Tree (Mauritia flexuosa) is a medium-sized tree that grows in the Atlantic Forest region of southeastern Brazil.
It is a member of the Palmae group within the Lauraceae family, and is one of two Lauraceae species indigenous to the state of São Paulo, the other being the Manilkara zapota.
14. Mahogany Tree
The Brazilian mahogany tree (Swietenia macrophylla) is a tall evergreen tree that can reach heights of over 100 ft.
It originates in the lowlands of northeastern Brazil and southern Colombia, and extends northwards into Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago.
Although sometimes called “mahogany” when harvested, this name actually refers to a different species of tropical hardwoods.
Mahogany trees grow slowly and produce dense growths of small branches, leaving the main stem relatively straight and slender.
They are highly sought after for their attractive grain patterns, rich colors, and fine texture.
15. Iron Wood Tree
The Brazilian ironwood tree (Schinopsis brasiliensis) is a rare and endangered tree species endemic to the Brazilian states of Paraná and Santa Catarina.
The tree grows in the Atlantic Rainforest biome and is restricted to the Serra da Canastra mountain range. It is threatened by deforestation and fragmentation caused by cattle ranching and agricultural activities.
16. Banana Tree
The Banana Tree is a genus of flowering plants in the banana family Musaceae. There are about 80 species belonging to this genus worldwide.
These include many cultivated varieties like the banana itself, the plantain, and the plantains’ cousin, the yam.
Some others are wild bananas growing in tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, and Oceania.
17. Tangarana Tree
The tangarana (Hymenaea courbaril) is a tree native to the Amazon Basin in tropical South America. Its fruit is edible and is commonly eaten by people living along the riverbanks.
They can grow up to 65 feet tall and have an average lifespan of 200 years.
18. Açaí Palm
The açai palm (Euterpe oleracea) is a large tree with spiny leaves and yellow fruits. It is a popular food product in Brazil and elsewhere.
The fruit is high in antioxidants and contains more than twice the amount of vitamin C of oranges.
19. Camu Camu Plant
The camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) is a large shrub from the myrtle family Myrtaceae which is native to northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, eastern Bolivia, and southern Brazil.
The fruit is purple and has a sweet taste. It is also known as the bitter apple and was first introduced to Europe in 1609.
20. Cumaceba Tree
The cumaceaba (Lippia graveolens) is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the Atlantic forest of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. It is used locally in folk medicine and is considered sacred by some local residents.
In folklore, it is associated with protection against evil spirits and sorcery. According to legend, its bark is used to treat toothaches, eye problems, and skin diseases.
Folk medicinal uses include treatment of coughs, asthma, bronchitis, and flu.
21. Mountain Soursop Tree
Also known as the annona montana, these trees are well known for their edible fruit. They are native to Central America, and even some islands in the Caribbean.
They were brought to Puerto Rico and Florida during colonial times. Today, they are grown commercially in warmer climates around the world.
22. Cupuacu Plant
The cupuacu (Psychotria viridis) is a tree or vine found throughout much of tropical South America. It produces red berries that contain caffeine-like alkaloids.
This is one of the few sources of naturally occurring caffeine outside of coffee beans.
23. Cassia Grandis Tree
This tree, sometimes called the jatobá, was once widely planted in urban areas and on plantations for shade and ornamentation. It is still found in parts of Brazil, but only in old gardens and parks.
The name “jatobá” comes from Tupi language meaning “tree of gold”, referring to the fact that the seeds of this tree are golden brown when ripe.
Final Thoughts
That is all for this article, we hope that you have enjoyed learning about these Brazilian trees. There are loads more where these came from.
So if you are hungry to learn more about the native plant life of Brazil, feel free to look into the topic further and share your findings with us.
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The majority of people who have no interest in the subject, and aren’t green fingered assume that all plants and vegetables require the same growing conditions. This is not the case at all. Each plant has its own unique and interesting history and growing process.
I hope you will find The Natural List useful, and that it will help educate you on the wide variety of different flower and plant species there are across the globe.
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