A giant canopy tree growing to 90 feet, Jatoba is native to the Amazon rainforest and parts of tropical Central America. It produces bright green leaves in matched pairs, white, fragrant flowers that are pollinated by bats, and an oblong, brown, pod-like fruit with large seeds inside. In the Peruvian Amazon the tree is called Azucar Huayo and, in Brazil, Jatoba.
Jatoba has a long history of indigenous use. The resin has been used to create incense, as a glaze for pottery and in the production of varnishes.