Bursera simaruba

Bursera simaruba, commonly known asgumbo-limbo,copperwood,almácigo,chaca,West Indian birch,naked Indian, andturpentine tree, is a tree species in thefamilyBurseraceae, native to theNeotropics, fromSouth FloridatoMexicoand theCaribbeantoBrazil,Nicaragua, andVenezuela.Bursera simarubais prevalent in thePetenes mangroves ecoregionof theYucatán, where it is a subdominant plant species to themangroves.In the United States, specimens may be found in theGulf of Mexicoalong the western coast of Florida.
Bursera simarubais a small to medium-sized tree growing to 30 meters tall, with a diameter of one meter or less at1.5 meters above ground.The bark is shiny dark red, and the leaves are spirally arranged andpinnatewith 7-11 leaflets, each leaflet broad ovate, 4–10 cm long and 2–5 cm broad.Gumbo-limbo is semi-evergreen.
The gumbo-limbo is referred to, humorously, as thetourist treebecause the tree's bark is red and peeling, like the skin of thesunburnttourists who are a common sight in the plant's range.
While the tree yields some ripe fruit year-round, the main fruiting season is March and April in the northern part of the tree's range. The fruit is a small three-valvedtop-shapedcapsuleencasing a single seed that is covered in a red, fattyaril(seedcoat) of 5–6 mm diameter. Both ripe and unripe fruits are rather loosely attached at their stems, and may detach spontaneously if the tree is shaken. Ripe capsulesdehisceor are cracked open by birds. Birds will seek out the fruit to feed on the aril, which, although relatively small, is rich inlipids(about half itsdry weight).
Gumbo-limbo is a very useful plant economically and ecologically. It grows rapidly and is well adapted to several kinds ofhabitats, which include salty and calcareous soils (however, it does not tolerate boggy soils). Gumbo-limbo is also considered one of the most wind-tolerant trees, and it is recommended as a rugged,hurricane-resistant species in South Florida. They may be planted to serve as wind protection of crops and roads, or aslive fenceposts, and if simply stuck into good soil, small branches will readily root and grow into sizable trees in a few years. However, it has been noted in Central America that such posts do not produce a tap root, only side roots, thus questioning the real value of wind protection as those fence posts would not be so sturdy as a true, naturally occurring sapling. Gumbo-limbo wood is suitable for light construction. It is rather brittle, although the trunk is used inHaitito make drums and as firewood.The tree'sresin, calledchibou,cachibouorgomartis,is used as glue, varnish, andincense.In Sarasota, Florida, gumbo-limbo trees have been used as street trees along a commercial portion of Boulevard of the Arts because the roots do not create problems for sidewalks and utilities.
The arils are an important source of food for birds, including manywinter migrantsfrom North America. Local residents such as themasked tityra,bright-rumped attila,black-faced grosbeak(and onHispaniola, thepalmchat), are particularly fond of gumbo-limbo fruit, as are migrants such as theBaltimore orioleor thedusky-capped flycatcher. It is an especially important local food source forvireos, such as thered-eyed vireo, when ripe fruit are abundant. Many migrant species will use gumbo-limbo trees that are in human-modifiedhabitat, even in settlements. This creates the opportunity to attract such species to residential areas forbird watching, and to reduce the competition for gumbo-limbo seeds in an undisturbed habitat that rarer local resident birds might face. Given the eagerness with which some birds seek out the arils, it may be that they contain lipids or other compounds useful to humans; in order for these to be exploited, however, they probably would have to be synthetically produced, because although the crop of a single tree may be very large (up to or even exceeding 15,000 fruits, translating into a raw lipid yield of more than 200 grams per harvest), individual seeds are small and cumbersome to harvest.
Gumbo-limbo's rapid growth, ease and low cost of propagation, and ecological versatility makes it highly recommended as a "starter" tree inreforestation, even of degraded habitat, and it performs much better overall in such a role than most exotic species.
The resin is used as a treatment forgout, while the leaves are brewed into a medicinal tea.Hexaneextracts of the leaves have been shown to possessanti-inflammatoryproperties in animal tests.Gumbo-limbo bark is an antidote toMetopium brownei, also known as chechen tree, which can cause extreme rashes just as the relatedpoison ivythat often grows in the same habitat.