Common Name:

General Information

Paraserianthes toona is a deciduous shrub or tree with a broad, spreading canopy, growing from 3 - 24 metres tall. The straight bole is often quite short, it can be up to 100cm in diameter[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a timber. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

The sawdust is highly irritant and can provoke nosebleeds[].

Botanical References

Range

Australia - Queensland.

Habitat

Monsoon forest, drier or more seasonal rain forest and quite well developed rain forest on a variety of sites at elevations up to 500 metres[]. Found in dry rainforest and behind mangrove associations[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 800 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 2 - 32°c, but can tolerate 12 - 37°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -2°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at -1°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 1,750mm, but tolerates 800 - 2,000mm[].
Grows best in a sunny position[]. Grows best in a well-drained, light to medium soil of moderate fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7[].
A fast-growing tree[].
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

Other Uses

The wood is durable and termite-proof[]. A decorative, general purpose timber[]. It can be used for joinery, furniture, and fencing[]..

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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