Common Name:

General Information

Albizia carbonaria is a tree with an open, flattened, spreading crown; usually growing 4 - 15 metres tall but sometimes up to 30 metres tall. The bole can be 60cm in diameter[].
The tree is a local source of wood, It is also grown to provide shade in tea and coffee plantations.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico.

Habitat

Moist upland tropical forests[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of low to moderate elevations in the tropics, where it is usually found at elevations from 50 - 1,250 metres, with reports of specimens up to 1,800 metres[]. It is found in areas where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,600 - 1,700mm[].
Prefers a well-drained soil and is tolerant of shallow, acidic soils[]. The branches are brittle and can break off in strong winds[].
A fast-growing, but short-lived tree[].
Trees can recover after a forest fire[].
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

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Grown as a shade tree in tea plantations in Asia, in coffee plantations in Puerto Rico and Colombia[, ].
The tree is planted to control soil erosion[].

Other Uses

The wood is used as a timber and to make utensils[].
The wood is used for fuel[].

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.

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