Common Name:

General Information

Alchornea latifolia is an evergreen tree with a moderately open crown; it can grow up to 20 metres tall. The bole is often crooked, with a small buttress in larger specimens; it can be around 40cm in diameter with specimens up to 70cm recorded[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. It is grown to provide shade in plantations, makes a good pioneer species for restoring native woodland and is sometimes grown as an ornamental and to provide shade[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean - Windward Islands to Cuba.

Habitat

Moist and wet rainforests, most commonly in openings and in secondary formations[, ].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropics, growing at elevations from sea level to 1,600 metres. It is found in areas where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,300 - 4,000mm, generally in areas with year-round rainfall but tolerating short dry seasons of around a month[]. The mean monthly temperate ranges from 22 - 27°c[].
Succeeds in a range of soils, from sandy loams to clays, though generally they should be moist but well-drained. It is frequently found on subsoils that are anaerobic due to high rainfall, but does not tolerate swampy soils[]. Tolerates a pH from 4.5 - 7[]. Although plants are often damaged by strong winds, they are seldom thrown and quickly recover from the crown damage[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].
Young trees have a moderate rate of growth, reaching about 1 metre tall after a year and 1.4 metres after 2 years[].
Plants can be coppiced - abundant epicormic branching results when crowns are damaged and light reaches the lower bole[].
The plant has well-developed lateral roots, often protruding above ground in clay soils[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is an abundant producer of seeds and these germinate freely if the canopy is disturbed - as often happens in the hurricane areas in which it grows[]. It also supplies food for bird and bat species. This makes the plant a natural pioneer species for restoring native woodland, though the mortality rate of the young plants can be quite high[, ].
The plant is sometimes grown to provide shade in coffee plantations[].

Other Uses

The wood is cream to pale tan in colour, with reddish-brown canals throughout. Texture is medium; lustre is low; growth rings are not clearly visible. The wood is moderately light in weight; fairly soft; moderately strong for its weight; not durable, being susceptible to attacks by dry-wood termites and other insects. The rate of air-seasoning and amount of degrade are moderate. The wood saws and planes easily; in other machining operations, care must be taken to avoid a fuzzy surface; there is little splitting during screwing and nailing; it glues well. It is often not available in suitably large sizes, but is suitable for utility carpentry, posts, boxes, crates, toys, dunnage, match splints, interior furniture parts, utility plywood, chipboard etc[, ].
The wood is used for fuel[, ].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as ripe, though it can be air-dried and stored refrigerated in a sealed container[]. Sprouting commences after about 31 days, with around 79% germinating[].
Cuttings - a very low percentage root.
Air layering - the plant produces adventitious roots from wounds when growing in wet forests and so air layering is probably possible[].

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