Common Name:

General Information

Albizia lucidior is a deciduous tree with an open, thin, dark green crown; usually growing 8 - 20 metres tall, but with some specimens up to 40 metres[, , ].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. It is grown as a shade tree in plantations and is often grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam.

Habitat

Evergreen and secondary forests, usually in more open, secondary formations and in thickets; at elevations from 600 - 1,900 metres[, ].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	15.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 700 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 34°c, but can tolerate 6 - 42°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 2,400mm, but tolerates 1,100 - 5,000mm[].
Grows best in a sunny position, but tolerates light shade[]. Succeeds in most soils of moderate fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[].
The tree is a host of the lac insect (Laccifer lacca), the female of which secretes the resin 'lac' that was formerly used to make shellac[].
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:

The tree has an open canopy, fixes atmospheric nitrogen and has soil improvement qualities. It is often left when the forest is cleared, especially to provide shade in tea plantations, and is sometimes also planted in such places[, ].

Other Uses

The heartwood is brown, with dark streaks and alternating dark and light coloured concentric bands; the sapwood is white. The wood is very hard and of good quality, but is not used in India[]. Similar to walnut (Juglans regia), it is used for construction and making furniture[, , ].
The wood can be 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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