Tabonuco
A large pale barked tree that gives its name to the lowest and wettest forest zone in El Yunque. Its aromatic resin was used for torches and for sealing boats, which is where the Taíno name comes from. When a guide says tabonuco forest they mean the tall tree belt, below the sierra palm and the dwarf forest higher up.
Example
The forest signs describe four vegetation zones, and tabonuco is the one you are standing in as soon as you enter.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I recognize it?
By the smooth pale bark and the size. The lower El Yunque trails are full of them and the panels point them out.
What was the resin used for?
Torches, sealing boats and incense. It is one of the best documented Indigenous uses of the forest.
