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In this study, the early development of monocultures and mixtures of Cedrela odorata, Cordia alliodora, and Hyeronima alchorneoides was measured to determine what interspecific differences in structural characteristics lead to good ecological combining ability in fast-growing tropical tree species. Plantations were established at high density (2887 trees/ha) on fertile alluvial soil in the humid Atlantic lowlands of Costa Rica. The three species are native to the region and were selected to represent a range of crown structure, leaf morphology, and phenology. Height growth was rapid for all three species, with dominant heights (mean height of tallest 20% of trees) of monocultures reaching 7–8 m at age 2.0 yr, and 14–15 m at age 4.0 yr. At age 2.0 yr, monocultures had nearly reached their maximum leaf area index (LAI), with Hyeronima forming a denser canopy (LAI of 4.5) than the other two species (LAI's of 2.5). In …