Common Name: Ipê

General Information

Handroanthus chrysanthus is a deciduous tree usually growing around 12 - 25 metres tall, though sometimes reaching 30 metres. The bole can be 20 - 40cm in diameter[].
The tree yields a good quality timber. A showy and rather handsome plant, blooming when devoid of leaves[].
Handroanthus chrysanthus is one of a group of species that are heavily exploited for their high quality timber, which is collectively traded under the name Ipê. Threats to the species are continuing and may grow in the coming decades, therefore it is suspected that this species will experience a population decline of at least 30% over the next 100 years. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2021)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

S. America - Colombia, Venezuela; north through Central America to Mexico.

Habitat

Moist or rather dry forest, often on open hillside, sometimes on limestone, at elevations up to 750 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of mainly moist or seasonally dry areas in the lowland tropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 750 metres[, ].
Plants are tolerant of salt-laden winds[].
A slow-growing species, though it has a relatively good natural regeneration[].
This species is closely related to Handroanthus guyacan[].
The flowers are sweetly scented[].

Edible Uses

The fruit is edible[].

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.

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is traditionally used as a part of agroforestry projects[].

Other Uses

The wood is brown, hard, heavy, strong, durable, and finishes smoothly[]. It is used locally for making furniture, tool handles, looms, boats and for general construction[, , ]. Traditionally, it was favoured as a wood for making bows[].

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 - best sown as soon as it is ripe[].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood[].
Air layering[].

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