Allanblackia floribunda

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropics where it can be found at elevations up to 1,500 metres^[1]. It grows best in areas where the maximum mean annual temperature ranges from 24 - 33°c, whilst the minimum can fall below 10°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,200 - 2,400mm^[2]. Grows best in a sunny position^[1]. Prefers well-drained soils especially lithosols^[2]. Common in the wild on strongly leached, acid soils with pH 3.8 - 4.1^[2]. Under natural conditions, trees start flowering after about 12 years, with the flowering occurring during a large part of the year. Fruits take nearly a year to mature and ripe fruits are also found during a large part of the year^[2]. The degree of maturity of fruits on the tree can not be estimated, so mature fruits are left to drop to the ground and are then collected^[2]. The fat from the seeds of Allanblackia floribunda is very similar in composition to that of Allanblackia parviflora and Allanblackia stuhlmannii^[2]. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required^[2].