Because of the way they grow,
balsa trees traditionally were always gathered "in the wild." But apparently that has changed. Some balsa is now grown on plantations in Ecuador. Here is an excerpt from The Ranforest Alliance's
"Sustainable Forestry Update" for Fall, 2009:
______________________________________________________________
Ecuador's Biggest Balsa Plantation Earns FSC Certification
There's good news in Ecuador's Los Ríos province -- so named because a number of rivers flow toward the Río Guayas and Pacific Coast -- where more than 19,000 acres (8,000 hectares) of balsa plantation (
Ochroma pyramidale) have been certified in recognition of responsible management.
Plantaciones de Balsa S.A. (PLANTABAL S.A.) is the first Ecuadorian forestry company to earn
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, which was awarded by the Rainforest Alliance's
SmartWood program.
PLANTABAL S.A. is a leader in the industrial production and processing of balsa wood, which it exports to China, Europe and the United States for use in the construction of boats, wind turbines and other products.
"I'm certain this certification of PLANTABAL, Ecuador's largest balsa exporter, will serve as an example for other exporters and will motivate them to work toward certification," said Freddy Peña, regional manager of the Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program. "I expect other balsa companies to enter the process." For more information
contact Plantaciones de Balsa S.A. (PLANTABAL).
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The linden tree (called the lime tree in Britain), which is the source of
basswood, grows wild in mixed hardwood forests and it can also be cultivated on plantations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilia
https://forestry.about.com/library/silvics/blsiltilam.htm
MarkII