Gumbo-Limbo Tree (Bursera simaruba)
Scientific Name: Bursera simaruba — Gumbo-Limbo, also called Tourist Tree.
Native Home: Tropical forests of the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America.
Height: 10–25 m.
Lifespan: Several decades, often 50 years or more.
Uses and Harvesting
Timber: Lightweight wood used for small crafts and local construction.
Harvesting: Bark and wood are collected where permitted; the tree can also be propagated from cuttings.
Age to Harvest: Around 10–20 years for useful timber, depending on growing conditions.
Products: Traditional remedies, living fences, crafts, and ornamental plants.
History and Global Production
Traditional Use: Indigenous communities used its resin and bark in traditional remedies.
Global Spread: Native to tropical America and widely planted in the Caribbean and other warm regions as an ornamental and shade tree.
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