PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Fabaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Biancaea sappan

Biancaea sappan

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitTree
Growth—

Sappanwood succeeds in semi-arid to moist tropical regions. It tolerates an annual precipitation in the range 700 - 4,300 mm and a mean annual temperature of 24 - 28°c[1]. Succeeds in any moderately fertile, well-drained soil[2]. Young plants are best grown in the shade of trees in the forest or in forest borders[1], but older trees require a position in full sun[2]. Succeeds in a pH of 5 - 7.5[1]. Flowering can occur after 1 year of growth and usually during the rainy season, fruiting about 6 months later[3]. Plants respond well to coppicing[1]. The tree is cut about 1 metre above the ground to allow sprouts to grow from the stump[1]. Harvesting is done manually with a machete; prickles are easily removed by brushing with the blunt edge of the machete[1]. For use as a dyewood the tree must be harvested every 6 - 8 years, to allow the heartwood to become fully developed; for firewood it may be harvested every 3 - 4 years when the trunk has attained a diameter of 5 - 6 cm[1]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[2]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[2].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 12 - 24 hours in warm water prior to sowing. The seed usually germinates within a few days[1]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until large enough to plant out. Softwood cuttings in sand in a frame[2]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Biancaea+sappan>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
  4. [4]Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. — Barwick. M. · Thames & Hudson, London · 2004 · ISBN 0-500-51181-0 ↩︎A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.
  5. [5]Trees of Laos and Vietnam - A Field Guide to 100 species. — Hoang Van Sam; Khamseng Nanthavong; Kessler P.J.A. · Blumea · 2004 ↩︎A detailed guide, with excellent line-drawings, to 100 of the more important trees of Laos and Vietnam. A very good work, giving lots of information about each plant. Originally published in the journal Blumea, it is available as a PDF on the Interne
  6. [6]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  7. [7]Medicinal Plants in Vietnam — Nguyen Van Dan & Doan Thi Nhu · World Health Organisation · 1989 · ISBN 92 9061 101 4 ↩︎An excellent book, giving information on over 200 plants, their medicinal compounds and applications.
  8. [8]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  9. [9]The Useful Plants of the Island of Guam — Safford W.E. · Smithsonian Institute; Washington. · 1905 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A very comprehensive, if rather dated, guide to the plants of Guam. It can be downloaded from the Internet.