Big leafed Swartzia, Coracao-de-Negro
Swartzia grandifolia

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

Swartzia grandifolia is a tree commonly found in South America that grows up to 18 m tall with a straight and cylindrical bole that can be up to 60 cm in diameter. It has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria that form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. It is not edible and has no medicinal value. The wood is used for high class furniture, cabinet making, musical instruments, turnery, sculpture, flooring, panelling, etc.

Swartzia grandifolia is an evergreen Tree growing to 15 m (49ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 15

Where it is found

Rain forests.

S. America - northern Brazil, Venezuela, the Guyanas.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Brazil; Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of; Guyana; Suriname; French Guiana

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 4

Other Uses: The heartwood is a deep, dark brown with lighter, thin streaks; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 8cm wide band of light yellow sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or slightly interlocked. The wood is very heavy; very hard; very strong; very elastic; very durable, being very resistant to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons slowly, with a high risk of checking but only a slight risk of distortion; once dry it is poorly to moderately stable in service. It is a very hard wood and has a fairly high blunting effect - stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is poor. A high quality, very strong, durable and attractive timber, its use is limited mainly by the small size of heartwood obtained from the logs. It is used for purposes such as high class furniture, cabinet making, musical instruments of various types, turnery, sculpture, flooring, panelling, wooded goods, items such as arches that require forming; veneer etc.

Furniture: A few miscellaneous uses that do not fit easily into other headings.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

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.

Propagating it: Seed -

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

The sawdust from wood of plants in this genus can be irritating to mill workers.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Tounatea grandifolia (Bong. ex Benth.) Taub. Tunatea grandifolia (Bong. ex Benth.) Kuntze