Habillo Hura polyandra – Native Plant of the Week

Introduction

The first time I saw the large spines all over the trunk of this tree I was impressed. Hura polyandra is part of the Euphorbiaceae family and like many other members of this family the latex it secretes from its trunk and branches is highly toxic and can be fatal if ingested. Known locally as Haba or Habillo, depending on where you are, this tree is a formidable tree that demands respect by its very appearance.

I am not sure why exactly but I love poisonous, carnivorous, and otherwise weird and strange plants. And the more dangerous they look in terms of spines, thorns, etc the better. So when I saw this Haba tree and heard of its deadly latex, I fell in love. Then I saw the beautiful leaves, and later the amazing flowers and fruit, and I was even more in love. It is a magnificent tree!

Description of Habillo Hura polyandra

Stem & Leaves

Haba is a deciduous tree that grows up to 20 (-30) m tall and up to 45 (-70) cm wide with a straight trunk. The trunk is covered with numerous very sharp 0.6 – 1.4 cm long thorns originating from circular cushions on the trunk. It has a wide crown formed by thick horizontal branches and hanging twigs. The brownish-grey outer bark when young is smooth and covered densely with thorns but as it matures it has fewer thorns and the bark becomes more fissured and scaly. The inner bark is cream-colored and exudes abundant toxic latex.

Leaves are simple and arranged alternately on the branches hanging from long petioles 5 – 20 cm long. They are broadly ovate to orbicular in shape and measure 9 – 17 cm long and 9 – 16 cm wide. Leaf margins are toothed, the apex is thin-pointed acuminate while the base is cordate. Leaf margins have small white glands and there are 2 larger green glands at the base of each leaf. Leaves are bright lightish green or yellowish-green on both sides, but duller on the abaxial (lower) side. Leaf venation is pinnate and very prominent on the abaxial side.

Flowers & Fruits

Habillo is a monoecious tree having separate male and female flowers that appear on the same plant. Usually it flowers from June to August but can flower at other times of the year, depending on the weather and timing of the wet season.

Male flowers are in axillary spikes 12 -16 cm long on a hollow axis. They are sessile and lack petals. They are attached to a 1 – 1.5 cm long on a narrow conical axis with numerous sessile white anthers, somewhat reminiscent of a conifer male cone.

Female flowers on the other hand are solitary, axillary on peduncles up 10 10 cm long. They also lack petals, are zygomorphic and are 6 – 7 cm long. It has a superior multilocular ovary topped with a thick fleshy circular style that is hollow at the top and it is divided into 15 – 19 conical fleshy long radially organized appendages (stigmas) that appear somewhat petal-like at first glance.

Its fruit is a large 5 – 10 cm diameter and 5 – 6 cm tall woody capsule that appears pumpkin-shaped. It is green when young but turns brown as it matures and becomes covered in numerous lenticels. When fully mature it breaks into 15 – 19 explosively dehiscent segments (carpels). They explode with such force they can be heard from far away and seeds are scattered tens of meters from the parent plant. Seeds are dark brown and discoid in shape.

Similar Species Frequently Confused With

Without foliage or flowers, people sometimes confuse Haba with the Ceiba genus because of the large conical spines. However, the spines of Ceiba are much more geometrically, almost perfectly conical while Hura polyandra spines are a little smaller, still impressive, but smaller and less geometric. Then, as soon as either has leaves, flowers, or fruit they are very simple to differentiate because of the large wide ovate leaves of Hura polyandra as opposed to the compound leaves of the Ceiba genus. The flowers and fruits are also widely different, but the leaves will be enough to tell them apart.

Other than that there is one other Hura species with similar leaves and fruit that it could be mistaken with. It also shares some of the same range being native to the Caribbean, Florida USA, Central America, and tropical South America with some scattered individuals in southern Mexico. They can be differentiated by Hura crepitans evergreen as opposed to deciduous leaves, and its much larger size to 60 m as opposed to 30 m and its much larger leaves up to 60 cm wide as opposed to 16 cm wide in Hura polyandra.

Distribution of Haba Habillo Hura polyandra

Haba or Habillo is only found in Mexico and northern Central America, it is not found in the USA or Canada.

In Mexico Hura polyandra is found in Sinaloa, Durango, Nayarit , Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan, Guerrero, Mexico City, Puebla, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and possibly also in Morelos and Tamaulipas.

In Central America Haba or Habillo is found in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Costa Rica.

Habitat & Growing Conditions of Habillo, Haba

Hura polyandra grows in dry, deciduous forests in regions with long dry seasons and periods of drought. It grows in full sun and part shade. Haba tolerates thin, rocky soils common in dry forests. It grows from low to middle elevations up to 1200 m above sea level.

Growing Haba in Your Garden

Growing species native to your area is a great addition to your garden. Once established they require little to no maintenance of any kind. They already grow in your area without water or fertilizer, so they will easily grow in your yard if you live in their range. They also provide important wildlife and biodiversity values as well.

If you live in a warm southern climate Habillo will be very easy to grow. Starting trees from seed can be a tedious process however as it takes several years for them to get to a size where they can be transplanted in your garden. So far, likely due to toxicity, this plant is not seen for sale by nurseries. You could wildcraft some seeds, following good Ethical Wildcrafting principles of course. And then start the seeds and plant the tree once it is large enough.

It can be planted in poor soil in full sun, but amend the soil with some organic compost and also feed it a thin layer of top-dressing of compost to help retain moisture and provide food during its establishment phase. Once established it will require no further maintenance. It is a lovely tree with interesting spines, gorgeous leaves, unique flowers and fruits. A great addition to any garden. Just be sure to keep young children away from it.

Wildlife Values of Habillo

No information on wildlife values could be found. Personally, I have seen birds roosting in trees but I have never seen nesting. This may be because the trees I saw were all fairly young. Due to its toxicity, nothing is known to eat the leaves, seeds, flowers, or fruits.

Status of Hura polyandra

In Mexico Hura polyandra is considered Least Concern according to the IUCN who last assessed it in 2018. Its population based on the number of mature individuals is considered stable.

Haba or Habillo is not found in either USA or Canada.

Traditional or Other Uses of Habillo

Hura polyandra Medicinal Uses

Despite its toxic nature Hura polyandra is occasionally used medicinally. The seeds possess violent purgative properties. Leaves are used for various gastrointestinal complaints including stomach pain, constipation, and as a purgative. It used to also be commonly used to expel intestinal parasites. Due to its toxic nature that has resulted in numerous deaths the medicinal use of Hura polyandra is not recommended.

Habillo as an Ornamental or Tools

It is sometimes used as a living fence to denote property boundaries and is also used as an ornamental tree due to its beautiful leaves and interesting thorns when in the dry season. It is occasionally used as a street tree in some locations but its toxicity prevents its widespread use due to concerns of poisonings.

The latex is sometimes used to stun fish to facilitate their capture. Occasionally the seeds are fed to noxious animals to kill them.

The wood is sometimes used in carpentry but not often due to complaints of irritation from the sawdust when it gets into the eyes and lungs.

Ethical Wildcrafting of Hura polyandra

Ethical wildcrafting of Hura polyandra is not recommended. It is a dangerously toxic tree and for this reason, should never be used medicinally under any circumstances. If you are wildcrafting for other purposes as always use the 1 in 20 rule of Ethical Wildcrafting. Pick one in every 20 leaves or fruits you see.

Wildcrafting and Processing

Wear gloves when harvesting any part of the plant as the latex alone on the skin can cause severe dermatological reactions in sensitive individuals. Picked fruits and leaves can be placed in a basket, bowl, or paper bag and brought home for processing. If you are harvesting multiple products on the same day be sure to label the roots in a paper bag so that you do not confuse different plants. As with any toxic plant ALWAYS label “TOXIC IF INGESTED” on the harvesting container, on the drying rack, and on storage jars where processed goods are stored. This will prevent anyone from mistaking it for something else and accidentally ingesting it, causing severe illness and possibly death.

To dry the leaves simply place them on a rack or screen in a single layer and allow them to dry. Fruits can be dried in the sun and when almost dry place them in a clear fine-mesh cloth bag or a paper bag so that when they split open the toxic seeds are contained within. Do not dry in a food dehydrator due to their toxicity, you would not want to contaminate any food dried afterward.

Once dried the leaves and seeds can be stored in a jar. Label your jar with the species name and the date of harvest, I also usually add the location of harvest for my own reference. As with any toxic plant ALWAYS label “TOXIC IF INGESTED” on the jar to prevent accidental poisonings.

References and Resources

Dictionary of Botanical Terms – by Lyrae’s Nature Blog https://lyraenatureblog.com/blog/dictionary-of-botanical-terms/

Eflora Plants of North America http://www.efloras.org/browse.aspx?flora_id=1

iNaturalist Plant Search https://www.inaturalist.org/home

IUCN Red List https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/62003558/149008229

Maya Ethnobotony on Hura polyandra http://www.maya-ethnobotany.org/plants-of-the-mayan-civilization-flowers-lumber-trees-mexico-belize-guatemala-honduras/hura-polyandra-euphorbiaceae-medicinal-plants-maya-culture-tropical-forest-species.php

USDA Plants Database https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home

Willis, Lyrae (2022).  Plant Families of North America.  Not yet published. 

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