Common Name: Gold Tree

General Information

Roseodendron donnell-smithii is a deciduous tree with a vase-shaped crown; it can grow up to 25 metres tall. The tree almost always forms a straight, cylindrical bole that grows free of branches for 7 - 13 metres even when the tree is grown in the open; it can be 60 - 90cm in diameter, occasionally to 120cm[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood, which is used locally and also often traded. The tree is cultivated in plantations for its wood and is also used as a pioneer for re-establishing native woodland and to stabilize the soil. Gold tree is considered to be one of the most handsome of flowering tropical trees, it is often grown as an ornamental for its yellow flowers and for the shade it provides[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Northern S. America from Bolivia and Ecuador north through Central America to Mexico.

Habitat

Alluvial terraces and lower colluvial slopes in humid forests. Also found in rather seasonally moist, non-flooded lowland forests[]. A pioneer species, it habitually seeds in abandoned farmland, disturbed areas and roadsides[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

A plant of the humid tropics, where it is found at elevations from sea level to 1,000 metres[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 28°c, but can tolerate 17 - 34°c[]. It succeeds where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 1,000 - 3,000mm[].
Requires a sunny position[]. The tree is found on alluvial soils and soils derived from volcanic ash, metamorphic rock and limestone with pH from 5.5 to 7.5[, ].
Gold tree is fast growing[].
Young trees coppice until they reach pole size[].
A saw log rotation of 30 years has been suggested[].
The plant flowers during the dry season when the tree is leafless and the display can last for almost 2 months[].
Pods mature 4 months after flowering, the seeds are wind dispersed[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant develops large lateral roots that hold soils. It is used in plantings to stabilize soils and prevent erosion[].
The seeding characteristic of the plant can be exploited in schemes for reclaiming disturbed sites[].
The species is a pioneer and habitually seeds in abandoned farmland, disturbed areas and roadsides in its native range[]. It can be used to provide shelter and protection for the establishment of more sensitive trees[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is pale blonde to pale brown sometimes with highly attractive greyish-black banding; the slightly paler sapwood is not distinct. The texture is fine to medium or coarse; the grain often interlocked and ribbon-striped; lustre is low to medium. There are conflicting reports on durability. The wood seasons and machines well, with occasional tearing when planing ribbon-striped quarter-sawn faces; it finishes smoothly and acquires an attractive polish. It is used for fine furniture, cabinetwork, decorative veneer, flooring etc[, , , ].
The wood is also used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in shaded beds or trays in loose, moist, well drained, fertile media[]. The seeds should be lightly covered to protect against drying out[]. Germination starts in 12 - 18 days and transplanting to nursery bags in 3 weeks. Seedlings attain plantable size in about 4 months[].

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