About

Peltogyne purpurea, commonly known as purpleheart in English and nazareno, azulillo, or sangre de Cristo in Spanish, is a species of tree native to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama, and also the Atlantic coast of Colombia.

How to grow it

There is little information about cultivation, because Peltogyne purpurea is not commercially cultivated. Its fruits can be collected directly from the tree, or from the soil once fruits have fallen. To remove the seeds, fruits must to be exposed to sunlight for 3–4 hours for one or two days. Seeds can be stored 2 to 3 years with regulated conditions of 5 °C and 6–8 % humidity. A kilogram of seeds has between 2200 and 2500 seeds.

In a plant nursery, seeds can be planted in disinfected sand seedbeds. Once plants reach 8–10 cm (normally 4 weeks after germination), plants are ready to be transplanted to the pots, bags or boxes. A plant will be ready to be planted in the field once it reaches 23 cm.

Where it grows

Peltogyne purpurea is native to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama, and also the Atlantic coast of Colombia. It is a common canopy tree in rainforests 50–500 meters above sea level at sites with more than 2500 mm (98.5 in) rainfall per year and temperatures from 23 to 27 °C or 73 to 80 °F. It occupies sites with well-drained and deep loamy soils in sloping terrains, as well as poor, reddish clay soils with high concentrations of iron and aluminum.

Uses

In Costa Rica and Panama, purpleheart wood is an economically valuable tree, however its harvest is prohibited by law. The wood is commonly used for general carpentry, interior and exterior decoration, furniture, cabinet work, flooring, marquetry, stairways, wooden boat building & restoration, and luxury coffins.

Other Peltogyne plants

Peltogyne mexicana · Purpleheart