Common Name:

General Information

Parkia multijuga is an evergreen tree growing 20 - 30 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 50 - 70cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its timber, which is used locally. A potentially useful plant for re-establishing woodland, its bright foliage and elegant shape makes it suitable for use as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela.

Habitat

Dense primary forest as well as open, secondary formations, growing on firm forest soil and on high, wet plains[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bats
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropics, mainly at lower elevations but ascending to 800 metres or more.
Prefers a position in full sun or light shade[].
Newly planted young trees establish well and grow away quickly, easily reaching a height of 3.5 metres within 2 years[].
There are conflicting reports on whether or not this tree has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, so it is unclear as to whether this tree fixes atmospheric nitrogen[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

A fast-growing plant that can regenerate naturally in open areas, it can be used as a pioneer species for re-establishing woodland[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is creamy white, sometimes with very large light brown veins; it os not demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or interlocked. The wood is very light to light in weight, soft; not very durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons fairly quickly, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once seasoned it is poorly stable in service. It can be worked with ordinary tools, though there is a risk of fuzzy surfaces; nailing and screwing are poor; gluing is correct. A low quality wood, it is used for purposes such as interior panelling and joinery, furniture components, boxes and crates, moulding, blockboard and veneer[, ].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and needs 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. Sow the seed in a semi-shaded position in a nursery seedbed or individual containers. Germination rates are usually high, with the seed sprouting within 20 - 40 days. Seedlings grow quickly and can be ready for planting out into their permanent positions within 4 - 5 months[].

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