Viburnum costaricanum

Native to Costa Rica and Panama, this shrub or tree belongs to the viburnum family and can reach about 50 feet tall. Its opposite, oval leaves have pointed tips and sometimes small teeth along their edges. Branching clusters carry numerous small white flowers. Rounded, single-seeded fruits change from green to purple or black as they ripen and are dispersed by birds. It grows in mountain forests and forest margins. In Panama, flowering and fruiting occur throughout the year, especially from September to January. Its wood is used for broom handles, and its bark has a traditional use in Costa Rica for treating mange in dogs. It is listed as Near Threatened. Photographed in Panama.