Barringtonia procera

Cultivation Details

A plant of lowland wet tropical, moist topical and wet subtropical climatic zones, it can be found at elevations up to 600 metres. The plant grows in areas where the mean annual temperature is around 27°c, with the hottest moth around 29 - 34°c and the coolest 20 - 23°c. It cannot tolerate even light frosts. The mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,500 - 4,300mm, usually with a year-round distribution, sometimes with a short dry season^{[1, 2]}. Prefers a position in partial shade, though it can tolerate full sun^[2]. It grows in moderate to highly fertile, coastal coral soils with light to heavy textures, tolerating rocky, shallow, saline and infertile soils The tree grows well in coastal soils high in pH (up to 8.5), but it does not tolerate waterlogged soils^[2]. It has medium to high tolerance of steady and strong winds including cyclones. Branches and twigs do not easily snap, but they may be broken off by strong winds. The trees rarely suffer from windthrow due to their height, open canopy structure, and good lateral rooting system^[2]. Generally, the tree grows moderately quickly, but this varies significantly depending upon trees and growth conditions. The mean annual increment (MAI) for height of trees up to 5 years is 62cm; thereafter the MAI increased to about 1 metre annually for the next 5 years. Thirty-year-old trees had an average MAI of about 1.4 metres^[2]. Diameter at breast height appears to be relatively uniform with age. Trees aged 5, 10 Title Poisonous Plants and Animals. Publication Author Altmann. H. Publisher Chatto and Windus Year 1980 ISBN 0-7011-2526-8 Description A small book, reasonable but not very detailed. , 15 Title Edible Ornamental Garden. Publication Author Bryan. J. and Castle. C. Publisher Pitman Publishing Year 1976 ISBN 0-273-00098-5 Description A small book with interesting ideas for edible plants in the ornamental garden. , and 20 years old have all attained an MAI for diameter at breast height on the order of 14 - 16cm^[2]. Trees begin flowering as early as 1.5 years (dwarf variety), although the average is probably 3 years^[2]. The tree can flower and produce fruit all year round^[3]. Annual yields of the seeds is estimated at 1.5 - 7 kilos per tree. By the age of 20 years trees can yield 370 - 550 kilos of seeds per hectare^[2]. Trees coppice and pollard well, with young leafy shoots regrowing rapidly following cutting. Stumps as short as 10cm coppice well^[2].