The guanacaste tree (Enterolobium cyclocarpum) is one of the largest trees found in Central America, and is also called corotu in Panama, or Elephant Ear Tree in north america due to the shape of the seed pods. It is the national tree of Costa Rica. It can reach an elevation of over 30 meters and the trunk’s diameter can measure up to 2 meters.
Guanacaste trees appear to delay the onset of fruit development up to nine months, so that seed maturation will coincide with the start of the rainy season.
Raúl Vásquez is one of Central America’s best known artists. He was born in Los Santos Province in 1954 and died recently in 2008. He was painter and poet. Outside his house there is a huge corutu, where he used to sit for hours, celebrating the vision of Man and Land nourishing and taking root together.
I took this photo of the Tree, and later, working on it, I got the sensation of having made a portrait of Raul Vasquez himself.
Man and Land taking root together.