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Bursera filicifolia

Accession Count: 1
Common Name: torote
Family Name: Burseraceae
Botanical Name: Bursera filicifolia
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Compound: Bur fil
Geographic Origin: Baja California
Ecozone Origin: Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Bursera filicifolia is found in the southern region of Baja California, the Gulf of Mexico, the Balsas river basin, Caribbean islands, Mexican Pacific coast, and central and northern South America (2).  The distribution is throughout areas commonly referred to as seasonally dry tropical forests.
Cultivation Notes:
Bursera filicifolia is an undersized tree with irregular shaped leaves, gray bark and the lower part of the tree has a hairy texture.  Being a semi-succulent tree, it store water in its trunk tissues (1).  During the plant's development, it needs moderate water and warm temperatures.  It can be propagated via seed or cuttings.  A unique feature of the tree is that the bark exfoliates, meaning the upper layers peal away or shed,  This process is highly significant to the plant as it allows adequate light to reach the layers of the trunk responsible for some of the plants photosynthesis (1).  Bursera filicifolia does much better in mixed soil (2).  For garden beautification purposes, many people use a mixture of top soil, sand, clay and gardening soil.
Ethnobotany:
Bursera filicifolia is used as ground cover and provides a wonderful fragrance from its flowers which attracts native animals.  Its seeds are a good source of food for birds.  In some regions, a tea made from the bark of the tree is used to treat stings of scorpions and black widow spiders (2).
Height: 11 - 15 feet
Width: 0 - 5 feet
Growth Rate: Fast Growing
Grow Season: Summer
Flower Season: Spring
Color: White
Function: Patio
Spread: Non-spreading
Allergen: Non-allergenic
Invasive: Benign
Toxicity: Benign
Hardy: Semi-hardy
Water Use: Moderate Water Use
Citations:
1. Eggli, Urs. Illustrated handbook of succulent plants. Berlin: Springer, 2002. Print. 
2. Turner, R. M., Janice Emily Bowers, Tony L. Burgess, and James Rodney Hastings. Sonoran Desert plants: an ecological atlas. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1995. Print.

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Bursera filicifolia