The National Trees of El Salvador: the Balsam and the Maquilishuat
On September 1, 1939, through Legislative Decree No. 44, two national trees were recognized and designated in El Salvador. These trees are the Balsam and the Maquilishuat (Tabebuia rosea). Although for the Salvadoran people, it is the Maquilishuat that is the most representative due to its pink flowers that cover its branches, which has made it a symbol of national identity.
The official recognition of the Maquilishuat as a national tree reflects the importance attributed to the conservation and protection of the environment in El Salvador. Its image can often be found depicted in paintings, sculptures, and other artistic mediums, as well as in songs and poems that exalt its beauty and symbolism.
The Maquilishuat Tree
The Maquilishuat (Tabebuia Rosea), is known by different names such as ‘Maquilíshuat’, ‘maculís’, ‘maquiligüe’, or ‘macuelizo’. These names originate from the Nahuatl language, particularly from the words ‘makwil’, which means ‘five’, and ‘iswat’, which translates as ‘leaf’. This is because the leaves of the tree are grouped in sets of five.
It measures approximately 15 to 30 meters in height, and its fine, amber-yellow wood is highly valued for woodworking. Its bark is grayish, with a short trunk and fissures around it.
Medicinal Properties
Infusions made from its leaves are used to reduce fever. Boiling its bark can be used to combat diabetes, malaria, typhoid, and parasites.
Cultivation and Reproduction
It reproduces through seeds in fertile soil with warm and very humid climates.
During its flowering period from December to February, the trees bloom in colors of pink, yellow, and white. The best places to see and enjoy them are:
- Plaza Salvador del Mundo, in San Salvador.
- Redondel Italia, Zona Rosa, San Salvador.
- Historical Center of San Salvador.
The Balsam Tree
The Balsam, whose scientific name is Myroxylon pereirae, is a species of tree in the Fabaceae family, also known as «sandalwood». Its name in the Nahuatl language means «hummingbird ointment».
It is a tree that reaches a height of 35 meters, with rough and dark bark, alternate pinnate leaves, alternate leaflets with translucent dots and stripes, and acuminate apexes. It has papilionaceous flowers and samaroid fruits with one or two kidney-shaped seeds with a smooth testa.
It grows wild, especially in the mountains of the southern departments of Sonsonate and La Libertad, a region known as the Cordillera del Bálsamo. Its fruit is a wing-shaped legume pod with a seed at one end, from which a blackish resin is extracted.