Anonang

Cordia dichotoma

Common Name: Anonang

Family: Boraginaeceae

Origin: native to the Philippines, also found in India, Indo-China, Malesia

Reference: Philippine Native Trees 101

This tree has been growing behind the cottage without us noticing it! In Philippine Native Trees 101, it sys that the leaves are “pounded, put in a kerchief soaked in lukewarm water” and placed on the forehead to relieve fevers.

It’s the one on the left

The book also mentions that the juice of the fruit and leaves were used as paste. The fruit I opened was tasteless. Definitely very sticky!

It is a small to medium-sized tree that grows up to 25m. It needs full sun and is not shade tolerant.

Fruit Fly

Bactrocera philippinensis

These guys are very small. This was my first time to see them. They are cute, for flies! They look like bees. Unfortunately, they can damage fruits. They were swarming on the the basil plants that are growing wild around the veranda.

Ardisia squamulosa

Common Name:

Family: Primulaceae

Origin: native to the Philippines

This small tree came from Cel Tungol. We planted it in 2012 at a very open planting area with no other trees nearby. The site is supposed to be a bridge between the the areas with trees. The trees at this site needed watering for the first couple of summers. Later on we stopped planting in open areas and started planting inside existing tree lines.

Bagras

Eucalyptus deglupta

Family: Myrtaceae

Common Name: Bagras, Mindanao Gum, Rainbow Gum, Mindanao Eucalyptus

Origin: indigenous to Mindanao, also found in Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea

Reference: Philippine Native Trees 101

This is the only species of eucalyptus that is native to the Philippines. Bagras is found in Mindanao. It has an unusual and beautiful multi-colored bark.

This was a gift from Lydia Robledo in 2014. We planted it near the house so we could keep an eye on it. At one point we thought it died. It turns out that it was just hidden from sight by a guava tree that was growing right beside it.