Bursera

Morphological Summary

Genus of trees and shrubs in the family Burseraceae, with about 100 species distributed mainly in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. They are the so-called "copales" or "cuajiotes" in Mexico, highly valued in caudiciform collections for their papery or exfoliating bark trunks, often in striking colors (green, red, yellow). They produce aromatic resins used in pre-Hispanic religious ceremonies and as incense. They are extremely drought-resistant, deciduous or semi-deciduous, and very popular in bonsai and succulent and caudiciform plant collections.