Common Name:

General Information

Albizia malacophylla is a deciduous tree growing up to 15 metres tall[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of gum and wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Senegal to Uganda.

Habitat

Wooded savannah and dry forest[]. Wooded grassland; riverine forest; hillsides with Combretum collinum in tall grass savannah; wooded savannah on fine gravel; gravelly sand; at elevations from 550 - 2,200 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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

The roots are used to treat conjunctivitis and backache[].

Other Uses

A gum obtained from the tree is used to mend broken pottery[].

The wood is used to make pestles[].
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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