Rain tree (Samanea saman)

tree with a small trunk called Samanea saman

samanea saman it is a tree that is part of the culture of many tropical countries It was introduced all over the world where the climatic conditions for its development exist.

In this article you we will show all its characteristics, the habitat where it is most found and you will also learn about some medicinal properties that this great tree has for people's health.

Features samanea saman

large foliage tree called Samanea saman

You want to know one of the most iconic trees in the tropical zone of Central America, for its ornamental character and the quality of its shade?

Samanea saman it is a tree of high nature, measuring between 20 and 45 meters approximately, in its trunk it has a diameter of two meters and the shape of its crown is what gives it the characteristic of a great shadow generator, since it has the shape of an immense umbrella that can measure approximately 60 meters in diameter.

It has a bark of dark grayish colors, showing vertical cracks and peeling off in thick rectangular-shaped flakes. Its stem has a cylindrical shape and its base is elongated, growing somewhat obliquely due to its heliotropism. Its branches can be tomentose or purulent in nature.

Leaves

The pulbínulo that have their leaves in the basal part of the petiole makes these, during the dark of night they close. Its leaves are in good health almost all year round, although in periods of drought they can be lost due to their semi-deciduous character.

But this only happens during that stage that, as soon as it ends, the tree quickly recovers all its foliage to look like an evergreen tree again.

Its leaves are bright green and you can find 2 to 6 pairs per branch, measuring between 10 and 35 centimeters long by between 12 and 34 centimeters wide. The petiole is 15 to 40 centimeters long.

Flowers

The flowers of the samanea saman occur in terminal panicles and among its colors the whitish green is distinguished, presenting in most cases some particular stamens that have a color that ranges from purple to pink.

El calyx of these pedicellate flowers has a shape similar to that of a funnel, and its corolla is of a color that ranges between red and yellow tones. Depending on the country in Central and South America in which this tree is found, its flowering can happen between different months of the year, but generally this will happen between mid-January and the end of April approximately.

Fruits

This It has fruits with leguminous characteristics, whose pods that accommodate them in a linear way can measure about 20 centimeters long and be about 2 centimeters wide.

Types of beans
Related article:
What is a legume plant?

Each of these fruits has about 8 seeds and in their appearance they have a flat shape and dark colors, ranging from black to brown as the lightest. The fruits of samanea saman will be seen on the tree between mid-January and early February to June, this being the common fruiting period.

Wood

The characteristic of the trunk wood of the samanea saman is its specific gravity between medium and high. This makes it very resistant, for example, to the attack of termites, not being the preferred tree of these. Regarding the attack of fungi, this wood is also shown to be semi resistant, being able to be violated by an example of these.

Brown colors predominate in the wood.. In some cases it is light and in others it is darker in nature. What all the specimens have is a sapwood that comes in colors ranging from yellowish to whitish.

Distribution and habitat

As we mentioned before, are the lands of Central and South America where this tree finds its origin. It is a wide area in which it can be found, starting from the south with Paraguay and ascending north, through Peru, Colombia, Venezuela and all the central countries until reaching Mexico.

But it is not only in these places that the samanea saman, since thanks to their ornamental character and the amount of shadow they can generate, These have been introduced in other tropical countries throughout the world.

It is humid climates that best suit this tree, although it can also withstand certain dry climates, being able to find it even in places up to about 1000 meters above sea level, with rainfall that can vary between 900 and 2.500 millimeters of annual rainfall.

The habitats in which it develops they can have variable temperatures between 20 ° C and 35 ° C and it can grow without problems in places where there are up to six months of drought, losing only the leaves.

Drainage is the fundamental key that soils must have for it to develop. Even with good drainage they can survive in nutrient-poor soils. As usual, the characteristics of the soil in which this type of tree grows the most They range from clay loam to sandy soil, presenting a pH of approximately 6 or 7.

All this gives it a very versatile feature Regarding the climatic conditions and the soils that it may be, it is mainly found in deciduous forests savannas, among the natural vegetation that a forest presents and even in river corridors.

The uses

Carpentry is one of the uses in which the wood is used the most. samanea saman, its resistance and nobility. Its wood is used by these professionals to make different types of products for comfort, such as luxury furniture, cabinets and posts, reaching a fine and striking finish due to its colors.

The shape of an immense umbrella that has its crown makes this tree widely used to surround crops that require shade. One of these is coffee. Another of the uses that is usually given by the character of great generator of shade is to decorate parks, large houses or land where there are schools among many others.

Medicinal properties

tree that offers a lot of shade thanks to its leaves

Among the properties, there are also medicinal ones. Its main characteristic is anti-inflammatory, antifungal, astringent and antipyretic, being widely used for these properties for the treatment of diseases such as eczema or tuberculosis.

Its seeds, in a ground way are often used as a remedy for sore throats, while its leaves are usually made infusions that are laxatives. In this order, other parts, such as the bark, can be boiled to treat problems such as constipation or diarrhea.

In the fruits, the samanea saman serves as an antimicrobial. If used as an aqueous extract it can reduce bacteria that cause all kinds of stomach-related problems. These are all the characteristics and uses, a tree whose shade is one of the most seen in American territories.


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  1.   fadlo said

    Hello, how do you sow? A bush or it can be a seed and where can I get it, I'm in Mexico City

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Fadlo.

      The seeds are sown in spring, after having been subjected to thermal shock (this is a method that consists of having them 1 second in boiling water, and 24 hours in water at room temperature). After that time, they are planted in individual pots with soil for plants, left in the sun.

      Keeping the soil moist, they will germinate in about 15-20 days.

      You can get seeds from here.

      Regards!