The guapinol tree (Hymenaea courbaril) is a tall tropical hardwood found mainly in Costa Rica’s Pacific lowlands and the dry forests of Guanacaste. It can reach about 40 meters, produces hard brown pods full of a sweet, floury, foul-smelling pulp, and gives one of the hardest woods in the Americas, sold abroad as “Brazilian cherry” or jatobá. Its resin has been used for varnish and incense for centuries.
This guide is for nature lovers, hikers and curious travelers who have spotted the tree or its pods and want to know more. It covers how to recognize a guapinol, when it flowers and fruits, how people use it and where to see one.
| Guapinol tree | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Hymenaea courbaril, a member of the legume family |
| Other names | Jatobá, courbaril, stinking toe, West Indian locust; “Brazilian cherry” in the flooring trade |
| Height | Up to about 40 meters |
| Where in Costa Rica | Mainly Pacific lowlands and Guanacaste’s dry forest; also parts of the Central Valley up to about 1,000 meters |
| Flowers | White, roughly December to June |
| Fruit | Woody brown pod, 5–18 cm long, with dry, edible pulp |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
Identification
How to Recognize a Guapinol Tree
- Size: a large tree that can grow to about 40 meters, with a tall, straight trunk and a broad, rounded crown.
- Leaves: each leaf has two shiny, slightly curved leaflets that sit side by side like a pair of wings. This is the easiest feature to spot.
- Bark: smooth and grayish.
- Pods: thick, hard, dark brown pods, 5 to 18 centimeters long and 4 to 6 centimeters wide. They often lie on the ground under the tree, and they don’t split open on their own.
- Smell: a cracked pod gives off a strong, cheesy odor, which is why English speakers in the Caribbean call it “stinking toe.”
Seasons
When the Guapinol Flowers and Fruits
In Costa Rica, guapinol trees flower roughly from December to June, earlier in higher, wetter areas. The white flowers open at night and are visited by bats, which pollinate them. A tree produces many flowers but only a few pods, and fewer still reach full size. The pods grow quickly at first, then slowly, and ripen in the first months of the following year.
On the ground, the pods attract agoutis and other animals that gnaw through the shell for the pulp and carry seeds away. Not every seed survives. In the dry forest of Santa Rosa National Park, larvae of a weevil, Rhinochenus stigma, feed on the seeds inside the pods, and a small moth’s caterpillars feed on the pulp.
Uses
Guapinol Uses: Wood, Fruit and Resin
Wood
Guapinol wood is reddish-brown, heavy and very hard. Its Janka hardness rating is roughly 2,350 lbf, nearly twice that of white oak. It’s used for furniture, flooring, cabinets and tool handles, and sold internationally as jatobá or “Brazilian cherry,” even though it’s a legume, not a cherry.
Fruit pulp
The yellowish pulp around the seeds is dry, starchy and sweet despite its smell. People eat it raw, grind it into flour for baking, or mix it with water or milk into a thick drink similar to atole. Raw pulp is powdery and sticks to the roof of your mouth, so most first-timers try only a little.
Resin
The tree produces a sticky resin, sold as animé or as a type of copal, that collects on wounds in the bark and around the roots. It has long been used in varnishes, lacquers and incense. Much of the amber found in the Dominican Republic and Mexico formed from the resin of extinct relatives of this tree, which is why it often holds trapped insects.
Reforestation
Fresh guapinol seeds germinate well, often within 20 to 30 days in warm, moist soil, and the tree tolerates long dry seasons. That makes it a useful native species for reforestation and agroforestry projects in Costa Rica’s dry northwest.
Traditional medicine
In parts of Latin America, the resin and bark have been used in folk remedies, most often teas for coughs, other lung complaints and stomach problems. Don’t take these uses as proof that the remedies work or are safe.
| Part of the tree | Main uses |
|---|---|
| Wood | Furniture, flooring, cabinets, tool handles, fuel |
| Fruit pulp | Eaten raw, ground into flour, mixed into drinks; animal feed |
| Resin | Varnish, lacquer, incense |
| Whole tree | Reforestation and agroforestry in dry areas |
Where to see it
Where to See Guapinol Trees in Costa Rica
Guapinol grows mostly below about 400 meters on the Pacific side, in areas that get roughly 500 to 2,000 millimeters of rain a year. It also turns up in the Central Valley and the central Pacific at higher elevations.
- Santa Rosa National Park: the tree is part of the park’s tropical dry forest, one of the best-studied in Central America. See our Santa Rosa National Park guide.
- Elsewhere in Guanacaste: look in the province’s remaining patches of dry forest, where you may also see the Guanacaste tree, Costa Rica’s national tree.
- Pacific trails: look down as well as up. Fallen pods under a big tree are the easiest giveaway.
While you’re in the dry forest, watch for white-faced monkeys in the canopy. For a base, many travelers stay in beach towns like Tamarindo and drive inland. Read more about the region in our guide to Guanacaste’s culture and history, or plan a route with our Costa Rica road trip guide and Costa Rica travel tips.
FAQ
Guapinol Tree FAQ
What is a guapinol tree?
A large tropical hardwood, Hymenaea courbaril, in the legume family. It grows from Mexico and the Caribbean to South America and is common in Costa Rica’s Pacific lowlands.
Can you eat guapinol fruit?
Yes. The dry, sweet pulp around the seeds is edible raw, ground into flour or mixed into drinks. It smells strongly, but the taste is mild and sweet.
Why is it called stinking toe?
The pod’s shape and the strong, cheesy smell of the pulp gave it the name “stinking toe” in the Caribbean.
Is guapinol the same as Brazilian cherry?
Yes. “Brazilian cherry” and jatobá are trade names for flooring and furniture made from Hymenaea courbaril wood. The tree isn’t related to cherries.
Is the guapinol tree endangered?
No. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern, though logging and the loss of dry forest reduce local populations.
Where can I see guapinol trees in Costa Rica?
In Guanacaste’s dry forest, including Santa Rosa National Park, and in forest patches across the Pacific lowlands.
The short version
Look for paired leaflets, a tall straight trunk and hard brown pods on the ground.
The pulp is edible and sweet despite the smell; the wood is one of the hardest in the Americas.
Best place to see it: Guanacaste’s dry forest, December to April.