Brosimum utile aka Cow Tree

Brosimum utile, or cow tree, is in the Moraceae family. This evergreen tree comes from wet tropical forests. Kew gives its native range as Panama to northern Venezuela. Other sources extend that range to Costa Rica and Amazonia. They also list Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. It grows in lowland rainforest below 1,312 feet [400 metres]. People harvest wild trees and grow them for useful goods.

Published figures put its height near 82 feet [25 metres]. PFAF gives a spread of about 66 feet [20 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants gives heights up to 98 feet [30 metres]. The straight trunk is round when viewed across a cut. It can measure roughly 2.5–3.8 feet [0.75–1.15 metres] across. Cuts in the bark release white, milky sap called latex. The bark yields fibre for cloth, blankets, and sails. Photo captions show small green flowerheads, or groups of flowers. They also show round brown fruits.

PFAF says it grows at a medium rate and needs no shade. The tree needs moist soil that drains well. It grows in sand, loam, or clay. Soil can be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. PFAF lists it for USDA zones 10–12. Its rainforest roots make it a tree for warm sites. Growers can raise it from seed or greenwood cuttings. These cuttings come from young green growth. Its large size needs room in a planting plan. PFAF lists it as a plant for food forests.

The latex has several uses as food. People drink it in place of milk. Reports say fresh sap tastes like cream and can lighten coffee. Air makes it form thin curds. People use these to make a food like cheese. The latex has also served as a base for chewing gum. People eat the fleshy fruit and seeds after boiling and salting. PFAF and Useful Tropical Plants both report no known hazards. Neither gives detailed proof of safety for pets.

People grow it for latex in India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. People also use its wood and make candles from wax-rich latex. Its pale wood ranges from yellowish white to light brown. The wood does not last well against fungi or termites. Dry-wood borers can harm it too. These reports concern cut wood, not disease in live trees. In folk medicine, people use the latex for pain and colds. They also use it for whooping cough. These reports of use do not prove that the treatments work.