R. Holmes

Some of our teachers:

Price & Susan PetersonSteve & Marjorie SarnerMary Farmer Mariano and Niña GallardoOsmar MorenoLourdes CaballeroMichael MullinSarah Terry & Craig Owings

Our goals:

-- decorate our yard-- attract birds and butterflies-- restore forest habitat-- windbreaks-- fruit trees

Plan for today

-- patio: plants for decoration, birds, and butterflies-- trees for windbreak & restoring habitat-- plants for protecting and reclaiming soil-- 2 useful books-- improving soil: compost-- frequently asked questions -- where to obtain the plants

Plants & shrubs for humming birds and butterflies

Penta Streptosolen/marmalade/sombrero de chino

Penta

Streptosolen

Streptosolen

Stachytarphteta/verbena/porter weed

Stachytarpheta/verbena/porter weedJ Fleming

Calliandra/powderpuff

Duranta erectagolden dew dropValle Escondido

golden dew drop(non-variagated)

Hamelia patens/zorillo/firebush flowers for humming birds

zorillo=> berries for tanagers

)Jatropha/coral bushTerry/Owings

Jatropha/coral bushTerry/Owings

Allamandagolden trumpet (woody vine)

Lantana camera

Lantana camera

wild lantana

Asclepiusbutterfly weedmilkweed

MilkweedWild lantana

monarch caterpillarfeeding on milkweed

monarch caterpillar(pupating)

monarch chrysalis

Trees for windbreak

corpachiPa

corpachiBoquete

cipréPalmira

cipréBoquete

cipréBoquete

Some native trees

-- 6 volumes

-- here a tiny sample grouped by family.

Fabacea-- huge family-- pea-like flowers-- legume (fix nitrogen)-- so tend to improve soil

Diphysa/macanoM. Farmer

macanoM. Farmer

macanoFarmer

Erythrinaporó

Cripe

Erythrina poeppiganaporó

Erythrina poeppiganaporóBajo Boquete across from Terpel

Inga/guaboTerrhy /owings

Inga (guabo)

Inga flowers

Enterolobium cyclocarpumcorotú (young)Palmira

corotúPalmira

corotú(mature)

webweb

Bignonacea

-- notice similar flowers

Tecoma stansTerry/Owings

Tecoma stans

Tecoma

Tabebuia rosearobleDavid road

Tabebuia rosearoble

Tabebuia chrysotrichaguyacánweb

Tabebuia/guayacánweb

Lauracea (laurel family)

avocadosigua

Hass avocado in bloomCripe

avocado

avocado fruitingPalmira

siguaaguacatillo

papaya(for scale)

sigua flowerssigua flowersPalmira

sigua/aguacatilloAlto Quiel

Other trees from diverse families

Cecropia/guarumo(young)Potrerillo

Cecropia/guarumo8 years

Palmira

Cecropia fruit

nancePotrerillo

Tecoma stansnance

nance

Bahuinia/orchid tree

Potrerillo cedro amargo

cedro amargo (seed pods)Potrerillo

Quercusoakmameicillo(seedling)

mamecillo(acorn)

guava/guyavaPalmira

Cornis discifloramata hombro

(dogwood)

dogwood/mata hombro

dogwood/mata hombro

Eucalyptus degluptaeucalipto pintadoPalmira

(Esmeralda)

“ world’s fastest-growing tree”-- S. Sarner

Eucalyptus degluptaeucalipto pintado

red mombin/jobo/jobito

jobo=>red when ripe

jobo foliage

papayaBoquete

A killer of trees

Inga + ?

corpachi +?

gumbo-limboalmasigopiel de gringo

+ ?

Erythrina lanceolatamachete flower

+ ?

avocado + ?

matapalo/mistletoe

Some considerations for growth

Altitude• Volcancito & Jaramillo ~1200-1400 m• Boquete & Palmira centro ~ 1100 meters• Las Molinas ~ 600 m• Lower Frances ~ 300-400 (guyacán,

poinsianna, corotú, Panama tree)

Water/humidity -- Alto Quiel above 1800m = cloud forest-- Jaramillo & Palo Alto humid/bajareque-- Palmira dry + more sun

Wind:-- some plants can’t take it.-- give them a break!

Soil-- old pasture (nance, guayba, guabo, cecropia)-- fruit trees (orange, avocado, limon) -- forest (oak, roble, cedro, espavé, aguacatillo,bambito

If you are high in Jaramillo and plant aguacatillo,you might attracte quetzals!

Most frequent questions:

How fast will it grow?

When will we have fruit, flowers, shade, birds?

Better question:

How well can we care for it?-- altitude-- wind-- sun-- SOIL & WATER

Better question:

How well can we care for it?-- altitude-- wind-- sun-- SOIL & WATER

Lloyd’s pampered fruit trees bloom precociously

Meyer lemonCripe from Mullin

grapefruittoronjaCripe

Soil:must protect bare soil!-- compaction by rain -- loss by erosion.-- loss of nutrients by washout

Macuna pruriensvelvet bean

One approach:

“Soil: securing the future - The magic of mucuna bean”www.new-ag.info/01-6/focuson/focuson8.html

Macuna-- protects/holds soil-- shades out weeds-- reduces mowing-- fixes nitrogen-- composts in place-- will climb-- but not invasive-- easily cleared

Honduran farmers:-- sow hillsidesbefore the rains-- later sow maize

Macuna as “cover crop”

Make good soilCompost:yard waste leaves/weedskitchen waste

manure horse/cow/chicken

“cal”/ashrice/coffee hulls

moist & cover

=> collecting leaves…

Careful!

Palmira

Where can you obtain these plants?

Our vivero has most of them.-- what we lack, we can start for you.-- fastest route to fruit: graft onto an existing tree-- we can graft your citrus & avocado.

All sales are donated to the Biblioteca de Boquete.

If you wish to receive our list of plants & directions toour farm, please give us your email address.

Thank you!