You do not forget the first pochote you see. The whole trunk is covered in thick grey cones, each ending in a point, so the tree looks armoured. It is, in its way.
Where you’ll see it
The dry forest reserves and remnant patches across Guanacaste. The wood is prized, so the large old trees are mostly protected ones now, though it is planted as a living fence post and in reforestation.
What to know
The thorns are a defence against monkeys and other climbers and they are effective. The tree loses its leaves in the dry season and produces large pale flowers at the start of the rains, followed by pods full of seeds in cottony fibre. It is a relative of the balsa and the baobab, and one of the signature trees of this ecosystem.
