Canopy trees

[RainForestt Robert]

Samanea saman is one of the more spectacular shade/canopy trees that can be seen growing here in Trinidad.  It is a nice shape,  is host to a number of bromeliads, orchids and succulents.  Can others post pics of shade/canopy trees in their locations.

[RainForestt Robert]

Here are a couple more pictures.  

[Jeff Searle]

Bob,

    I just love this tree. I first saw them when I was in Hawaii, and it inspired me to look for one to plant in my own yard. Mine is no where as big as these, but in the 5 years since I planted a small one, it has shot up like a rocket. I think it's a great tree.

Jeff

[SubTropicRay]

Nice Tillandsia Bob.

[paulgila]

nice photos!it makes one want to just go out & sit under those trees

[amazondk]

To me one of the most beautiful canopy trees we have here is the Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa).  They grow fast and have a beautiful shape when grown in a non forest environment.  The only problem with them is when they produce fruit.  The nut gourds are sort of like cannon balls and and do a lot of damage if they hit you on the head.  So, if you hang out under one, you should make sure it is not full of mature fruit.  Mature forest trees can get up to 180 feet tall and have a trunk diameter at chest height of 48 inches or more.  Grown in an open environment they would not get nearly that tall, but they still need a lot of room.

fAn old Brazil nut tree in a cattle pasture.  It is prohibited to cut down Brazil nut trees due to the nut production.

These pictures I posted on the travel log forum this week.  They are plantation trees.  The big ones are probably about 15 years old or so.

Brazil nut gourds.

[amazondk]

Another native canopy tree which in the right place is great is the Samaumeira (Eriodendron samauma), or queen of the forest.  These smaller trees are about 12 to 15 years old and growing in town.   When I get enought land to be able to have on I intend on planting a few.

This is a big monster from the original varzea forest near Manaus.  It would take a while to get this size.  Many of the older trees were harvested over the years off the varzea for making plywood.  Since this plywood industry is extinct now around here a lot of younger ones are sprouting up on the varzea flooded forest areas.  

[amazondk]

Then there are the ipes, tabebuias.  Of couse you would not find one of the size of this T. serratiafolia in a yard.  But, they make great landscape canopy trees at the shade is not too dense and the flowers are beautiful.  One of the things that I notice now when I go to South Florida are how short the trees are. Even in the city the trees here in Amazonas are much taller.  But, then we do not have hurricanes either.  I believe that the trees develop more here anyway due to soil and climatic conditions.

dk

A yellow ipe in bloom.

[amazondk]

And, as canopy trees in the forest go the most common and normally the largest tree around here is the Angelim Ferro (Dinizia excelsa).  I don't have a good photo of the tree, only this one by the base of one by my personal manager and forest guide.  These trees tower over the forest up to 180 feet tall at the end of the branches.  The branches spread out over a wide area.  Since it has exfoliating bark large amounts of bark accumulate around the base of the tree.  I am not the best at tree identification in the forest, but this one is easy.  Maybe you could equate it to a Redwood in stature.  It also produces very resistant wood and is one of the prime species exported to Holland for the canals and dykes.

dk

The tree in the background is an Angelim Ferro.

[JakeK]

Trinidad! Bob,

The Samanea saman is one of my favorites too. It grows to be enormous.

Don,

Thanks for posting a photo of that yellow ipe. I bet all the common yellow flowering hardwoods on the Osa are ipe. I always thought they looked fantastic standing out apart from the dense green, I just never knew their name. The locals call it guayacan.