Cinchona pubescens hence its nickname the red quinine tree. Its flowers form in large panicles. They are pink and fragrant, while in the Galapagos they are light pink. "C. pubescens" has the widest distribution of all "Cinchona" species, with the native range spanning Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. In Ecuador it is distributed within an altitude from . It also grows well in volcanic soil with high nutrient levels. C. pubescens is a resilient species that is able to recover from even extreme damage. If the tree is felled but the stump is left, it can grow back
Cinchona knighted. For the role in establishing cinchona in Indonesia, Hasskarl was knighted with the Dutch order of the Lion. "Cinchona" species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the engrailed, the commander, and members of the genus "Endoclita", including "E. damor", "E. purpurescens" and "E. sericeus". "Cinchona pubescens" has grown uncontrolled on some islands such as the Galapagos where it has posed the risk of outcompeting native plant species. In herbalism, cinchona bark was used as an adulterant in Jesuit's bark or Peruvian bark which originally is thought to have referred to "Myroxylon peruiferum",