Common Name:

General Information

Jacaranda copaia is a medium to large-sized tree with a high, narrow crown; it can grow from 20 - 30 metres tall[]. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 60 - 90cm in diameter[].
The plant is gathered from the wild for local medicinal use, and as an insect repellent and source of timber. The wood is sometimes traded. Widely grown as an ornamental in gardens, where it is especially appreciated for its flowers, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful and showy of the Central American trees[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and the Guyanas, north through Central America to Guatemala.

Habitat

A canopy or emergent tree, often found in dense rainforests, growing in areas not subject to seasonal inundation[]. Wet forest, at or a little above sea level in Guatemala[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a sunny position[].
A fast-growing tree in open areas[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is cathartic and emetic[, ]. An infusion is used in the treatment of dysentery[]. The bark is used in an antisyphilitic powder[].

A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of fevers[].
Applied externally, the leaf is used in a plaster with soap to treat leishmaniasis (bos-yaws)[]. It is used in a pomade for treating skin diseases such as ringworm[]. The juice from the young leaves is warmed and applied to persistent sores[]. A gargle of the leaves is used to treat syphilitic lesions of the throat[].

The root is diaphoretic[].

Other Uses

The leaves and wood are burnt to produce smoke which acts as an insect repellent[].

The capsule valves are used as a tool for shaping pottery[].

The heartwood is oatmeal-coloured to pinky-white or dingy white; it is not demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is coarse; the grain straight; lustre somewhat satiny; there is no distinctive odour or taste. The wood is very light in weight; very soft but firm; not durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons rapidly with only a slight risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is porrly stable to moderately stable in service. The wood is very easy to cut; saws woolly when green; finishes smoothly if tools are kept very sharp; nailing and screwing are poor; gluing is correct. The wood has some of the properties of white pine (Pinus strobus), and is suitable for light interior construction, cabinet making, boxes, crates, etc[, , ]. It is used by local people to add buoyancy to rafts made of heavier timbers[]. The wood is pulped for paper manufacture[, ].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A high germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 14 - 21 days[]. When they are 5 - 6cm tall, transplant the seedlings into individual containers. They should be ready to plant out into their permanent positions 5 - 6 months later[].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel[].

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