Description

• Quassia amara, commonly known as bitterwood, amargo, or Surinam quassia, is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Simaroubaceae.

• It typically has smooth, greyish bark and pinnately compound leaves with several pairs of glossy, elliptic to lance-shaped leaflets.

• The leaf stalks often have a distinctive winged appearance between the leaflets.

• The flowers are bright red, sometimes with orange or yellowish tones, and grow in elongated clusters at the ends of branches.

• The fruits are small, dark, oval to oblong structures that develop from the flowers.

• The wood and bark contain intensely bitter compounds, including quassinoids, which have been studied for medicinal and insecticidal properties.

Range

• Native to tropical Central America and northern South America, including parts of the Caribbean region.

• Widely cultivated in tropical gardens and plantations beyond its native range.

• It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.

Habitat

• Grows in tropical moist forests, forest margins, and shaded woodland understories.

• Favours warm, humid conditions and well-drained soils rich in organic matter.

• Often grows beneath partial canopy cover, although it can tolerate brighter conditions where moisture remains adequate.