Pink Cedar, Shingle Tree
Acrocarpus fraxinifolius

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

Acrocarpus fraxinifolius - Pink Cedar or Shingle Tree, is a large deciduous emergent tree that can reach 60m in the right conditions. Older trees have massive plank buttresses and the stem, light grey and thinly barked, can be over 75% free of branches. Thin horizontal branches. Bi-pinnate leaves with 3-4 compound leaves with 5-6 elliptical, lanceolate leaflets up to 10 cm long and bright red when young. Red-Orange, Pale Green flowers appear on tree when leafless. Fruit is an elongated and flattened pod, long-stipitate, and narrowly winged. Acrocarpus fraxinifolius has very deep roots up to 4.5m. Commonly grown throughout the tropics in plantations for its wood especially in badly degraded areas which are not protected from cattle grazing. It?s used as shade trees in the coffee plantations in India. The timber is recommended for making furniture and cabinets/tea boxes. Acrocarpus fraxinifolius has been identified as one of the food plant for the endangered lion tailed macaque during the period of fruit scarcity.

Acrocarpus fraxinifolius is a deciduous Tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 22 m (72ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Bees, Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 30

Where it is found

Evergreen gallery forest. Montane rain forest and deciduous monsoon forest. Sparse forests at elevations of 1,000 - 1,200 metres in southern China.

E. Asia - China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 4

Agroforestry Uses: The tree has an extensive root system and has been recommended for reinforcing riverbanks and stabilizing terraces. A natural pioneer species, it is fast growing and adds atmospheric nitrogen to the soil. It has proved to be very good for the reforestation of open areas. Its leaf fall adds nutrients and humus to the soil and are suitable for mulching. It is ideal as a shade tree on tea and coffee plantations. It is known to have been planted as a windbreak in some areas. Other Uses The wood exudes a gum-like resin when the trees are felled. The sapwood is whitish; the heartwood is bright red to brownish-red with darker veins, making it very decorative. The wood is not very durable and is prone to attack by fungi and insects, but it impregnates well. The grain is straight to slightly interlocked, sometimes wavy; the texture is coarse and even; the is wood is lustrous. It is heavy, moderately hard, and compact. It is easy to work with tools and is well suited for turnery, carving and polishing. The wood is used for interior trim, panelling, furniture and cabinet work. Because it splits easily and regularly, it makes excellent roof shingles. Within its native range it is also used for general construction, floors, stairways, doors, tea crates, beehive frames, and after being impregnated, for railway ties. The wood is sometimes used for firewood in many places.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.

Pioneer: Plants, usually trees and shrubs, that can be used to reforest land.

Shelterbelt: Wind resistant plants than can be grown to provide shelter in the garden etc.

Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

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

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

Acrocarpus fraxinifolius grows best in submontane areas in the humid and subhumid tropics with a short, dry spell. It succeeds at elevations from sea level to about 2,000 metres, growing best in areas where the annual precipitation is between 500 - 3,000 mm and the temperature ranges between 15 - 26c. Plants are very sensitive to frost. Prefers a fertile soil and a position in full sun, though it can tolerate a small amount of shade, especially when young. Succeeds in acid and alkaline soils. A pioneer species, it regenerates primarily in small, burnt areas, on open patches where fresh soil has been exposed and along newly constructed roads. Shingle tree is quite fast-growing, able to reach heights of up to 3 metres within 12 months from seed. Growth of older trees is still rapid, as observed in Tanzania where the mean annual increment of 13 year old trees was 120cm in height and 19mm in diameter. In Rwanda the mean height of trees was 150cm after 1 year, 4.4 metres after 2 years, 6.7 metres after 3 years, and 19 metres after 24 years with a bole diameter of 35cm. A deep rooting plant, the roots can penetrate up to 4.5 metres into the soil. It coppices vigorously, the rotation period for fuel is 8 - 10 years and for timber 30 - 40 years. The tree competes with crops if grown in fields. Young plants have been observed to behave as climbers and stranglers of other trees. The tree is a good source of nectar and a good bee forage. 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 - pre-soak for 5 minutes in hot water and leave to soak for 24 hours in warm water before sowing in a shaded bed. Alternatively, pretreat the seed with sulphuric acid for 10 min. A germination of 80 - 95% within only 2 - 7 days is achieved after this pre-treatment. Under natural conditions, some seeds may germinate within a week, while others may lie dormant for a year before germinating. Seedlings are ready for planting out when 3 months old and 30 - 45 cm tall. The seedlings are pricked out into beds or containers and placed in full sunlight. From the beds they can be planted bare-rooted or as stumps or striplings. Seeds exhibit orthodox storage behaviour; they should be stored at low temperatures. A few seeds survived 7 years of storage at room temperature. Patch budding has been used and 80% success recorded during establishment seed orchards.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

It is also known as Indian Ash, Australian Ash, Kenya Coffeeshade, Mundani (Bengali), Red Cedar. Other names include: Mayahnin, Yetama (Burmese); Kuranjan (French); Belanji, Hevulige, Kuranjan, Malankommao, Silchhal (Hindi); Madang Pariek, Delimas (Indonesian); Delimas (Javanese); Khan Khak, Ket ?Hoy (Lao); lazcar, cedro rosado (Spanish); khang chang, sadao chang, khang khi mot (Thai); Trade name: Mundani

Synonyms

Acrocarpus combretiflorus Teijsm. & Binn. Acrocarpus grandis (Miq.) Miq. Mezoneurum grande Miq.