Pseudosamanea guachapele / Albizia guachepele
Family:
Native to:
Habitat:
Fabaceae
Central and southern Central America, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela.
Dry areas, pastures and abandoned fields. 5 meter tall tree, up to 1500 (and as high as 3000m.)
Ecological value:
Fixes atmospheric nitrogen, fast growing drought tolerant. Tolerant of shallow, infertile soils. But prefers deep, fertile soils. Attracts bees. Species in this genus are generally small trees
with short lifespans.
Material uses:
Yellow-brown wood is easy to work. Smooth finish after sanding. Used in shipbuilding (planking, ribs, decking), railroad cross ties, general construction, flooring, decorative veneers, and furniture. Good quality timber. Golden dye obtained from heartwood.
Edible uses:
Unspecified food source.
Medicinal use:
Some Albizia species are used to treat a variety of ailments such as anxiety, depression, cancer, insomnia etc, but there is no specific information on this species.
Other details:
Thrives in nitrogen-rich soil. Used as a shade tree. Can survive forest fires. Good bole for timber if species is cultivated at high density and if pruned during first four years. Shade tree for coffee plantations. Often called ‘silk trees’, and commonly mistaken for ‘mimosa’ trees.
Research:
Michael Sanchez/Christine Facella
Sources:
“Pseudosamanea Guachapele (Kunth) Harms | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science.” n.d. Plants of the World Online. Accessed November 16, 2023. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:211561-2/general-information.
“Albizia Guachapele - Useful Tropical Plants.” n.d. Tropical.theferns.info. Accessed November 16, 2023. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Albizia+guachapele.
South American Timbers: ‘the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 190 Species’, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, 1979
Image credits: Hugo SANTACREU and J.M.Garg (image of A. amara).