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Mesua ferrea
Clusiaceae FAMILY

Mesua ferrea

Mesua ferrea

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

There is some concern about the safety of the flowers. In laboratory tests extracts of the flowers terminated the pregnancy or resulted in lack of implantation in rats[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthSlow

A plant of the moist to wet tropics, where it is found at elevations from 60 - 1,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 30 - 35°c, but can tolerate 4 - 45°c[2]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -2°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at -1°c[2]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 3,000 - 4,000mm, but tolerates 2,000 - 5,100mm[2]. Young plants are quire shade tolerant, but gradually become more light-demanding as they grow larger[3]. Requires a fairly rich, well drained soil[1]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 5.5, tolerating 4.3 - 6.9[2]. The tree grows very slowly and is not popular for plantations[1]. The plant starts producing fertile seeds when it is about 15 - 20 years old[2]. Its logs sink in water and should be either rafted to lighter logs or transported by road[1]. Endomycorrhizal associations, which fix atmospheric nitrogen, are reported in this species[1].

Propagation

Seed - easy to handle in the nursery with a germination that is good and rapid[1]. Seedling germination is hypogeal. Germination rates are in the 30 - 70% range, however, record germination rates of 75 - 90% in 11 - 24 days have been achieved[1]. The seed loses its viability quickly, within 2 - 3 months[1]. Container raised seedlings are the best planting stock and should be planted preferably in fairly rich and well drained sites under suitable shade[1]. Seedlings are planted in the field after one year when they are about 30 cm tall or after 2 years when they are about 75 cm tall[1]. Vegetative propagation by means of cuttings is not promising[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Mesua+ferrea>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [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. [2]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  3. [3]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
  4. [4]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  5. [5]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  6. [6]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  7. [7]Plants and People of Nepal — Manandhar. N. P. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 2002 · ISBN 0-88192-527-6 ↩︎Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.