Accession Count: 2
Common Name:
palo mulato
Family Name:
Burseraceae
Botanical Name:
Bursera grandifolia
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Bursera grandifolia is an attractive tree, reaching 20 to 40 feet in height with a large open crown (1,2,3). The tree’s trunk can measure up to 25” in diameter and is characterized by a green or bluish-green bark, which peels off during the dry season in rust-colored sheets (1,3). Its heartwood is white in color and is not characterized by the incense found in other species of the genus (3,4). The large, bright green leaves, measuring up to 15” in length, are single-pinnate with 3-7 fuzzy leaflets (1,2,3). Leaves are only present during the rainy season and quickly fall once the rains have passed, usually by September (3). Inflorescences, among the most conspicuous of the genus, are panicles, reaching up to 4” in length, that appear in early summer before the leaves and contain many white flowers with pink highlights (1,2). When cut, the inflorescences and branches produce a fragrant white sap (1,3). Flowers develop into clusters of reddish fruits, botanically considered drupes, that measure about ¼” in length (1,2,3).
Compound:
Bur gra
Geographic Origin:
Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
B. grandifolia’s native range extends from the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua southeastward to Guerrero but does not reach northward into the Sonoran Desert (1,2). It is found in small stands or as isolated individuals along hills and in canyons in tropical and subtropical deciduous forests or in thornscrub, usually between elevations of 500 and 3500 feet (1,2,3). The plant’s large leaves identify it is a mesophyte, suggesting tropical connections (2).
Cultivation Notes:
Although not a plant typically available from plant growers, with its large leaves and distinctive peeling bark, B. grandifolia would make a striking ornamental plant in frost-free regions (1). It can be grown from seed, which typically germinate in 4-14 days (1). Cuttings from the plant readily root (1,2). Adult plants can be transplanted if moved when leafless (1,2).
Ethnobotany:
B. grandifolia is noteworthy for several different uses. A tea made from the bark is sometimes drunk as a coffee alternative and is purported to be good for pneumonia and fever (1,4). A study conducted on this species isolated a chemical identical to phenacetin, a commonly used compound in analgesics and antipyretic drugs until the 1980's (5). The ground bark is also used as a disinfectant for cuts (4). The sap is sometimes used as a glue or caulking (2). Like ocotillo stems, the branches of the tree can be planted to make living fences (1,2).
Height:
20 - 50 feet
Width:
20 - 50 feet
Growth Rate:
Fast Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
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:
1. Johnson, M.B., “The Genus Bursera (Burseraceae) in Sonora, Mexico and Arizona, U.S.A.” in Desert Plants 10(3) (1992), pp. 126-144.
2. Turner, R.M., et al., Sonoran Desert Plants: An Ecological Atlas, University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 2005.
3. “Bursera grandifolia (Schltdl.) Engl.” Encyclopedia of Living Forms, (http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Burseraceae/28008/Bursera_grandifolia), Accessed April 27, 2020.
4. Yetman, D., The Guarijíos of the Sierra Madre: Hidden People of Northwestern Mexico, University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 2002.
5. Velázquez, F., et al., “Phenacetin Isolated from Bursera grandifolia, a Herbal Remedy with Antipyretic Properties”, in Natural Product Communications 4(11) (2009), pp. 1575-6.
