Common Name:

General Information

Albizia schimperiana is a deciduous tree with a flattened or rounded, often umbrella-shaped crown; usually growing up to 30 metres tall but occasionally to 35 metres. The straight, cylindrical bole often branches from low down; it can be up to 70cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild, mainly for local use as a medicine and source of wood, soap and dyes. The wood is sometimes traded internationally[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Eritrea, Ethiopia, east DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe.

Habitat

Upland forest and evergreen bushland, at elevations from 900 - 2,600 metres[]. It may be the dominant species in the upper canopy in southern Sudan and Ethiopia[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the tropics, where it can be found at elevations from 900 - 2,600 metres. In Tanzania it grows in regions with a mean annual temperature in the range 14 - 20°c, and an annual rainfall of at least 1000mm[].

A slow-growing tree[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A root infusion is added to a porridge and used as a treatment against headache and other pains[].

The stem bark is used to treat warts[]. The bark is used as a cough remedy[].

Spermine alkaloids and several triterpenes (lupeol, lupenone, oleanoic acid and hederagenin) have been isolated from the bark[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is planted in agroforestry systems as a shade tree and for soil conservation and improvement[].

Other Uses

The bark is a source of saponins and is used as a soap substitute[].

The ground seeds, mixed with water, are used as an insecticide[].

Wool can be coloured yellow with the leaves[].

The ash of the bark is added to snuff tobacco to give pungency[].

The wood is fairly strong, works easily and is not resistant to termites[]. It is used for construction, joinery, tool handles, beehives, stools, grain mortars, spoons, needles, plywood and matchboxes[].
The wood is used for fuel and for charcoal production[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Sow the seed in a semi-shaded position[]. Seedlings are ready to plant out about 4 months after germination[].

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