Khaya ivorensis
Khaya ivorensis
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of moist tropical lowland areas, where it is found at elevations below 450 metres[1]. It grows in areas where the mean annual temperature is in the range 24 - 27°c and the mean annual rainfall is 1,600 - 2,500 mm, usually with a short dry season[1]. A light-demanding species, although the young trees tolerate a certain amount of shade[1]. It tolerates periodic flooding[1]. Planting has been done with some success within its natural habitat. Because of insect damage, pure stands are rarely planted; instead, they are planted with mixed stands and with close spacing[1]. The tree grows very quickly; for example in Cote d'Ivoire, 4-year-old trees attained heights of 7 - 13 metres with an annual growth increment of 2.3 metres and a diameter growth of 2.5 cm/yr[1]. In Malaysia, a final density of 80 trees/ha and a rotation of about 30 years in mixed plantations are recommended[1].
Propagation
Seed - the germination percentage of fresh seeds is very high (about 90%), but it is maintained for only 2 weeks at the most, falling off quickly afterwards[1]. When sown in seedbeds, the seeds germinate after 11 - 21 days[1]. Germination is epigeal; the young seedlings grow very slowly and must be kept shaded at the beginning[1]. Stock can be planted to the field when 60 - 90 cm high, usually as stumps or striplings[1]. Seeds tolerate desiccation to 6% mc, 44% germinate following 2 years subsequent hermetic storage at 2°c[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Khaya+ivorensis>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]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.
- [2]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.
- [3]Tropix 7 — CIRAD · http://tropix.cirad.fr/en ↩︎An on-line guide to the timbers of 245 species of trees.