Common Name:

General Information

Handroanthus billbergii is a deciduous shrub or a tree that can grow from 1 - 15 metres tall[, ].
This species is one of the most important timber trees in Ecuador, where it is commonly harvested from the wild for local use[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela; Caribbean - Netherland Antilles, Aruba, Cuba.

Habitat

Dry rocky chaparrel at elevations up to 500 metres in Venezuela[]. Dry coastal forests, thickets[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

This species is the national tree of Venezuela[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

We have no specific information for this species, but the inner bark of the various Handroanthus species has been shown to contain several pharmacologically active compounds. In particular, the bark has astringent and anti-inflammatory properties and several species are used to treat skin disorders, fungal infections, wounds etc, as well as a various inflammatory diseases, cancer etc[, ].
The bark contains the naphthoquinones lapachol and beta-lapachone. These compounds have a range of medicinal activities, including antitumor activity, but when isolated from the whole bark and used in the quantities required to treat conditions such as cancer, they have also shown unacceptable levels of toxicity towards the body.

Other Uses

The heartwood is very dark in colour, contrasting with the whitish sapwood[]. The wood is very hard, heavy and very durable. It is widely used in construction, cabinet making and local handicrafts within its native range. Traditionally, it is much used for making items such as corn grinders (metates) and looms[, , ].
The hard, heavy wood of the subspecies Handroanthus billbergii subsp. ampla (A.H.Gentry) S.O.Grose is especially prized for making artifacts in coastal Ecuador because of the contrasting colours of the very dark heartwood and the whitish sapwood2095].

Most species of Handroanthus, almost certainly including this one, produce a very hard, heavy and durable timber known collectively as 'Ipê' and widely traded under that name. Most Ipê wood comes from this genus (Handroanthus), though some also comes from the genera Tabebuia and Roseodendron. The general description of Ipê wood, when produced from Handroanthus species is as follows:-
The heartwood is yellowish brown to dark olive brown, sometimes with thin veins; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 9cm wide band of lighter-coloured sapwood. The texture is usually fine, though it is medium in some species; the grain is interlocked; there are canals in the wood containing a greenish-yellow deposit of the naphthoquinon 'lapachol'. The wood is very heavy; very hard; elastic; it is very durable, even in contact with the soil, resisting fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons slowly, but with only a low risk of checking or distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. The wood has a fairly high blunting effect - stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; there can be some difficulties due to the interlocked grain; filling is recommended in order to get a good finish; nailing and screwing are good , but require pre-boring; gluing is correct for internal use only, and needs to be done with care because the wood is so dense. Ipê is a very durable and strong wood that has a very wide range of uses, especially for outdoor applications. It is used for making high class furniture, cabinet work, heavy construction, railway sleepers, bridges, hydraulic works, industrial flooring, decking, posts and poles, turnery, musical instruments, tool handles, veneer etc[].

Propagation

Seed -

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