Fagaceae FAMILY

Lithocarpus kochummenii

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree

Growth—

Lithocarpus kochummenii is a plant of the moist tropics, where it is usually found at elevations up to 1,300 metres^[1]. The varous species in this genus usually grow in regions where there can be year-round rainfall, generally disliking dry seasons. In the wild, Lithocarpus species are mainly found in well-drained soils, often growing on slopes. In cultivation most species are tolerant of a range of soil textures and prefer an acid to neutral pH. Young plants usually grow sucessfully in the shade of woodland, but older trees like a more sunny position. This species is often found in the wild in Kerangas forest - a type of moist, heath forest found on acidic, sandy soils that are low in nutrients, especially nitrogen^[PFAF].

Propagation

Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool, but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a nursery seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees^[2]. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Lithocarpus+kochummenii>

Pollinators

Insects, Wind

References

[1]Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Vols 1 - 6 — Soepadmo E.; Saw L.G.; Chung R.C.K. (Editors) · Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur. · 2002 · ISBN 983-2181-27-5 ↩︎A flora of the woody plants of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo, often giving details of plant uses.
[2]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[3]A Dictionary of Malaysian Timbers — Wong T.M. · Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur · 2002 · http://Elaeocarpaceae · ISBN 983-2181-29-1 ↩︎A fairly comprehensive guide to Malaysian timbers, giving their properties and the main tree species from which they are obtained.
[PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎