Today we will dive into the flora of Costa Rica and I am very certain that I didn’t even capture .00001 % of what grows everywhere. I mean, seriously, it’s like diving into the ocean and trying to take a picture of every fish, every coral, every grain of sand. The variety and abundance of flora in Costa Rica is staggering. I will attempt to identify as many plants and trees as possible.

Bromelia growing on a huge tree

Monkey Tail Fern (these are the fronds before they unfurl, kind of like fiddleheads)

Not 100% sure but it’s either coconut flowers or betel nut flower

Hot lips plant (Psychotria elata)

the lowest part of the base of the tree I’m hugging. You could house a small child in that space

Shama Macka aka Sensitive Plant

Travelers Palms

Heliconia (although I can’t figure out the genus)

I think this might be Mahogany. I love the lacey affect of the canopy…very airy and fluffy.

Don’t know what the plant is but I love that the leaves are red when they are first emerging from the bud.

Bamboo

Centropogon

Cardammom flower and pods with seeds

Cardammom plantation/field of plants

Red Banana. Not eaten by people because it’s very sour but little bats love them

Heliconia Bihai

Alpinia purpurata (red ginger)

Jamaican Yellow Bell Flowers

Palm tree coral stems and berries

According to the tour guide, this tree is being slowly suffocated by all the winding vines and plants sucking the life out of it, whereas, in the rain forest, all plants on trees have a symbiotic relationship.

more Travelers Palms on the pond at Arenal

The trees and foliage often canopy each side of the road as you drive up, down and over the mountains. Note the vines crossing from one side of the road to the other. These vines are used by monkeys

Oil palm fruit

coconut washed up on Funky Munky Beach. I was tempted to see if anything was living in it but then I remember snakes and spiders lol

Nice wall of cactus in Montezuma

These hung down from the arches that lined the path to the beach at Banana Beach. Very magical environment. I think they are Cuitlauzina pendula

Palmatum flowers arranged by me because they kept falling from the tree into my hammock

Palmatum tree

Peacock Flower

Almond Tree , Almond nut

Banana tree flower fallen on the ground

Banana flower on the tree with young bananas

Hibiscus

Trees grow like this in the mountain to adapt to the constant wind. The branches grow on the side of the tree that flows in the same direction as the wind

Heliconia rostrata, Lobster claw or Parrot’s beak

Butterball Hibiscus

Bougainvillea

I couldn’t resist the perfect semetry of these trees and I think it might be Yucca

Amaryllis

Bromeliad gusmania

Amaryllis

Blue Ginger (no, I do not need to flip the photo, it was growing upside down)

Yellow Shrimp plant

Rattlesnake plant

I couldn’t find the name of these but I found the way this canopy caught the light mesmerizing

Jaborani-Manso (Piper amalago)