Black ebony, Mauritian ebony
Diospyros tessellaria

Family: Ebenaceae

What it is like

Diospyros tessellaria or commonly known as Mauritian Ebony or Black Ebony is an evergreen shrub or small tree about 20 m in height that can be found in Africa. Its leaves are thick and dark green in colour. Flowers and fruits are small. Its bark and heartwood are black while its sapwood is white. It produces a high quality timber used for musical instruments, small pieces of furniture and in marquetry.

Diospyros tessellaria is an evergreen Tree growing to 15 m (49ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bats. It is noted for attracting wildlife. 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

A dominant component of lowland evergreen forest and upland rainforest in the southwest and eastern mountain ranges.

Africa - Mauritius.

Conservation Status: Status: Vulnerable B1+2cde

Countries/locations it is found in

Mauritius

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Fruit.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 4

Other Uses: A high quality timber, known as 'Mauritius Ebony' is obtained from the tree. The bark is black, the sapwood is white and the heartwood black. The wood is used to manufacture keys of musical instruments, small pieces of furniture and in marquetry.

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.

Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife

How it is grown

Tolerates both dry lowland areas and upland wet rainforest. Now rarely coastal. A canopy tree that was exploited on a large scale during the Dutch occupation of Mauritius in the 17th century. You may have to wait 50 years to harvest the black infamous heartwood. Prefers temperatures no less than 54 F. In general Diospyros species are dioecious and require both male and female forms to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Propagating it: Seed - it has a very short viability and so should be sown as soon as possible. The flesh should be removed since this contains germination inhibitors. Sow the seed in a shady position in a nursery seedbed. The sowing media for ebony uses soil and fine sand at the ratio 3:1. The seed is planted horizontally or vertically with the radicle end down, with a sowing depth of 1 - 1.5x the thickness of seed. Distance between the seeds is 3 - 5cm. Seeds are very sensitive to desiccation during germination and early growth, so must be regularly watered at this time. Normally the seed will germinate after one week. In one trial, fresh seed, sown one day after collection, showed 85% germination rate within 17 - 65 days. As a rule fresh seeds have a high percentage of fertility. The seedlings develop long taproots at an early stage, often before any appreciable elongation of the shoot takes place. The growth of the seedling is decidedly slow .

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Slow

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

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Diospyros reticulata Willd. [Illegitimate]