Accession Count: 11
Common Name:
little leaf bursera, elephant tree
Family Name:
Burseraceae
Botanical Name:
Bursera microphylla
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
B. microphylla is a deciduous small tree or shrub. The elephant tree has red-tipped branches that usually spread wide and have a twisted appearance. The leaves are two to three inches long and alternate pinnately compound with seven to thirty five pairs of tiny leaflets which are dark green in color. The small cream colored flowers are dioecious and hang in panicles. The fruit is a berry about the size of a lentil with several seeds. The over sized water-filled trunk and older branches are covered with papery bark. The outer layer exfoliates in thin tissues, exposing a bright rust or golden layer. As the tree expands in girth, there might be several layers of this bark visible.
Compound:
Bur mic
Geographic Origin:
Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The genus is prevalent in many tropical dry forests in southern Mexico. In western Sonora, this tree is common, and in some areas of Baja California it is the dominant tree. ======================================================================= Natural History of the UA Campus Arboretum Specimen:The UA elephant trees are not really suited for Tucson’s weather, since they suffer cold damage even above freezing temperatures. However, they are thriving in a hot and bright microclimate on a south facing wall in the north entrance to the Integrated learning Center. In this location, they are above the cold air drainage and in full sun all year. The trees were supplied in 2002 by Mickey Reed, a local grower of succulents and unusual plants. A third tree has more recently established in the Joseph Wood Krutch Garden.
Cultivation Notes:
B. microphylla has a massive trunk with papery, peeling bark, which inspired the common name elephant tree. The elephant tree can be a stunning accent plant, or container plant. During the summer, it should be given supplemental watering once a month. The elephant tree has scented foliage, and cream-white flowers which bloom in late summer. B. microphylla is very cold sensitive, as it is hardy down to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ethnobotany:
According to Felger’s Trees of Sonora, the Seri and Coahuilla people used these trees for many medicinal purposes. These included the treatment of headache, cuts and scratches, lice, skin diseases, sores, stingray wounds, and venereal disease. Other references mention the production of tea from the twigs and caulking from the sap. The sap, which easily bleeds from the cortex and bark of the plant when wounded, contains strongly fragrant oils and is known in the Mayan and Aztec cultures as copal. Copal has been documented as an important part of pre-Columbian ceremonies. In religious and secular events, the resin or gum is burned as incense, which is said to cure various illnesses (1).
Height:
16 - 20 feet
Width:
16 - 20 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Flower Season:
Summer
Color:
White
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Tender
Water Use:
Moderate Water Use
Citations:
- Case et al. 2003. Chemistry and Ethnobotany of Commercial Incense Copals Copal Blanco Copal Oro and Copal Negro of North America. Economic Botany.
- Mielke, Judy. Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes. University of Texas Press, 1993.
