Plant · GBIF taxon 3190450
Bursera simaruba
bursera simarubaAlso known as Tourist Tree, Copperwood, Almácigo, Chaca
Gumbo-limbo stands out in tropical and subtropical forests with its smooth, copper-red bark that peels off in papery sheets, revealing a bright green photosynthetic layer underneath. A major food source for migrating songbirds, its soft wood and resin have a distinct turpentine scent when snapped or bruised. The tree propagates so easily from cut branches stuck into soil that it is widely grown as living fence posts across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Peeling BarkTropical TreeDrought Tolerant
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Sunlight
- Water
- Soil Nutrients
Predators
- Caterpillars
- Wood-boring Beetles
ThreatsHabitat loss, urban development, and severe hurricanes
HabitatsCoastal hammocks, dry tropical forests, and mangrove borders
Life span50 to 100 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderSapindales
- FamilyBurseraceae
- GenusBursera
- Speciesbursera simaruba
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Bark Cues: Look for shiny, coppery-red bark constantly flaking off in thin, translucent sheets.
- Living Fences: Watch for neatly aligned rows along rural roadsides where cut stakes took root.
- Bird Watching: Scan the canopy during autumn migration when birds feast on ripe berries.
Habitat Companion (c) Lalithamba, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Seed Disperser 
Close Relative (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Susan Murphy, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Susan Murphy · cc-by
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