It is native to the mountain forests of Costa Rica and western Panama.

[1] Sciodaphyllum pittieri is an evergreen tree, which grows up to 25 meters high, thickly branched, with a trunk up to 40 cm in diameter.

The inflorescences are dense drooping cylindrical clusters up to 50 cm long, composed of numerous minute white to pale green flowers.

They are 1 cm long by 4mm wide, white turning red or purple, and each contains two seeds.

[3] It is a common canopy tree in upper montane forests dominated by the oak Quercus costaricensis.