Cordia bicolor

Cordia bicolor, also called Muneco, is a tree of the tropics. It belongs to the Boraginaceae family. Its home range runs from southern Mexico to Trinidad and Bolivia. It grows in wet parts of the tropics. Sites include forests, thickets, pastures, and open ground where people have disturbed forests. It grows at low and mid heights above sea level. Records reach about 1,800 feet [550 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants lists its status as Least Concern. This cites the 2019 IUCN review.

This tree grows fast and has a round crown. Its trunk is straight and round. The listed garden size reaches about 49 feet [15 metres] tall and wide. Broader accounts give heights of 33–66 feet [10–20 metres]. Sources differ on how long it keeps its leaves. PFAF calls it deciduous, which means it sheds its leaves. Useful Tropical Plants says it stays green or loses leaves briefly. This short-lived pioneer can grow where forest cover has gone. Its fast growth helps it take hold on these open sites.

Small white flowers grow in tight groups at branch tips. Bees, butterflies, and other insects pollinate the blooms. The small fruits are oval in shape. Each is about 0.47 inches long and 0.31 inches wide. PFAF lists the fruit as edible. It gives the fruit a low food-use rating. Yet both sources lack firm food facts for this species. Their broader claims about edible fruit draw on other species in the genus. Its food value thus remains unclear. Neither source lists known hazards. This does not mean the fruit is safe to eat.

For garden growth, PFAF calls for sun, not shade. The tree prefers moist soil that drains well. It accepts sand, loam, and clay soils. It also copes with mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soil. PFAF lists USDA zones 10–12, which fit its home in the tropics. Seeds can take a long time to sprout. A light scuff of the seed coat can let water in. This can help seeds sprout sooner.

Its main uses are timber and helping forests grow back. People use the wood for fence posts and rural buildings. Roots help hold bare soil, and the crown gives shelter. These traits help bring back conditions that suit other plants. They can ease heat and moisture levels after forest damage. The sources report no known uses as medicine. They give no pest or disease details for this species.