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Tree Species (Scientific Name)

Swietenia macrophylla

Tree Family

Meliaceae

Average Leaf Size (cm)

11.5cm

Length

4.5cm

Width

Tree Height

Large (> 35m)

Elevational Range (m)

0–1500m

Distribution

Native

Exotic

Native to Peru

Native to

Region

Americas

Latin America

Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru

Exotic in

Latin America

El Salvador, Venezuela

Coffee Agroforestry Information

Coffee System

Arabica

Coffee Impact

Beneficial to coffee

Prevalence

Unknown

Cultivation

Planted

Natural

Tree Management

The seeds are dispersed by the wind and planted by seed. Young trees are quite shade-tolerant, but full light combined with side protection is necessary for optimal growth. The tree is self-pruning and pruning is usually not necessary if it is established with sufficiently wide spacing. The age of rotation is 30-35 years when grown for wood.

Tree Benefits and Uses

Farmer Uses

Livestock Forage
Lumber
Medicinal
Ornamental
Product

It is of excellent quality and used in the manufacture of luxury furniture, cabinetmaking, musical instruments and interior and exterior carpentry. Handmade arrangements are made with the fruits and flowers. The bark contains a large amount of tannins and is used to dye hides and leather. Crushed fruit peels have been used as a potting medium. The bark and seeds have medicinal use against fever and diarrhea.

Farm Services

Coffee Shade
Reforestation

Reforestation: used as a pioneer species to reoccupy degraded agricultural land and has been used in reforestation projects

Biodiversity Benefits

The flowers are visited by insects.

Citations

Solis R, Vallejos-Torres G, Arévalo L, Marín-Díaz J, Ñique-Alvarez M, Engedal T, Bruun TB (2020). Carbon stocks and the use of shade trees in different coffee growing systems in the Peruvian Amazon. The Journal of Agricultural Science 1–11. https:// doi.org/10.1017/S002185962000074X;

Shade Catalog | Indonesia. Shade Catalog, Conservation International, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and World Coffee Research. Retrieved October 5, 2022, from https://www.shadecoffee.org/en/catalog/indonesia;

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Swietenia macrophylla (King). Accessed 5 Oct 2022. Published on the Internet: https://panamabiota.org/stri/taxa/index.php?taxon=Swietenia+macrophylla&formsubmit=Search+Terms;

Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2022-10-05. tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Swietenia+macrophylla

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