Pita plant

Aechmea magdalenae

The fiber extracted from the leaves of the pita plant are used for the production of diverse articles as hats, bags, mats and hammocks; it may also be used as rope, to tie or hold objects, in construction, etc. 

Balsa tree

Ochroma pyramidale

The balsa tree constitutes an important element within the Boruca indigenous culture; among other things because its wood is used to create the symbolic masks employed for the “Juego de los Diablitos”.  Also used to elaborate different, more modern, handmade articles.

Balsa wood is employed in vessels and aeromodelling, and as insulation.

Balsa seeds (are covered by silky hairs) were used as filling for pillows.

Cotton

Gossypium hirsutum

Cotton has been a very important element since ancestral times in the indigenous culture. Different fabrics were, and still are elaborated for clothing, after extracting and processing the fiber that covers the seeds, among them, skirts, blouses, bands and bags.

Calabash tree

Crescentia cujete

The hard structure of the calabash tree’s fruit, once dry, has different uses. In ancient times it was used to elaborate household utensils (calabash gourds, spoons) and musical instruments. Is recently used in other handmade articles as hairpins, fashion jewelry and ornaments.

The fruit’s pulp may also be used in the elaboration of dyes for different purposes.  

Nance

Byrsonimma crassifolia

An orange-colored, very striking dye is obtained from the nance tree’s bark which may be used to dye different types of fabrics.