Common Name: Locust Berry

General Information

Locust berry is a semideciduous, large shrub or a tree with a roundish, irregular and sparse crown; usually growing up to 15 metres tall, but exceptionally to 40 metres[, , ]. The often crooked, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for up to 20 metres, 30 - 90cm in diameter and without buttresses[, ].
The plant is exploited in the wild by local people for its wood and is sometimes also grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica; Caribbean - S. Vincent to Puerto Rico.

Habitat

Primary and secondary rain forest[], in areas not subject to inundation[]. Ridge and savannah forests[]. Common in secondary forests and frequently on lands degraded by farming[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a fertile, humus-rich soil and a position in full sun[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
A fast-growing plant[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The pulp is too acid for eating raw, but it can be made into jams and jellies[]. A sweet, fleshy pulp[]. The green to yellow, globose fruit is up to 14mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The leaves are astringent[].

The bark is astringent, febrifuge and purgative. A decoction is used to treat rattlesnake bites, diarrhoea and dysentery[].

The fruit is acid and astringent, containing much tannin. It is used as a remedy for dysentery[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A fairly fast-growing plant, it is a natural pioneer within its native range and could be suitable to use as a pioneer when re-establishing woodland.

Other Uses

The heartwood is pale to dark reddish-brown with a purplish cast, sometimes with a grayish tint; the sapwood is a light to reddishbrown. The texture is medium; the grain straight to interlocked; lustre is medium; there is no distinctive taste or aroma. The wood is soft, moderately heavy, with poor mechanical properties; it is not very durable, being very susceptible to dry-wood termites and other wood-destroying insects, only slightly resistant to decay fungi. It is little used, even locally, in Brazil, but is sometimes employed for small rural works, fence posts etc. In Bolivia it is used for construction and flooring[, , ].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed. Germination rates are normally low, with the seed sprouting within 30 - 40 days[]. Transplant the seedlings to individual containers when 5 - 6cm tall[].

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