Bauhinia guianensis
The size of the plant and of its bag can vary a little from the photograph — each one grows at its own pace. We keep them as consistent as we can.
Overview
Monkey ladder is one of the most astonishing lianas in the forest: its stem grows flat and wavy, like a zigzag ladder, which, the story goes, monkeys climb to the canopy. Botanists now call it Schnella guianensis. It's a cousin of casco de venado and shares its two-lobed leaves.
Culture
- Habit
- Climber
- Height
- 15.00 m
- Cultivation Status
- Wild
Native from Guatemala to Brazil and Bolivia, Costa Rica included, in secondary rainforest and along streams. It's a vigorous liana, with stems 15 meters long or more, that holds on with tendrils and seeks canopy light: plant it next to a large, mature tree or a sturdy structure, never next to young trees it could overload. It needs time to develop its ladder-shaped stems.
Edible Uses
No known edible uses.
Medicinal
In traditional medicine across its native range, the stem and bark, as a decoction, are used for diarrhea and cramps, and as a wash to bring down fever.
Traditional uses for information only. Not a substitute for advice from a health professional.
Agroforestry
A high-stratum liana that uses the structure of the system's emergent trees. Like any large liana, site it carefully and guide it so it doesn't compete with productive trees. It's a conversation piece, perfect for a demonstration garden, and in its native range it is also harvested for fiber.