Milicia regia
Milicia regia
Safety & Hazards
The wood and sawdust may cause dermatitis, irritation to nose and throat, and asthmatic reactions[1]
Cultivation Details
Milicia regia is a plant of the moist, lowland tropics. It has been cultivated and has grown well in Nigeria, on sandy soils with 2,000 - 2,500mm of rain per year, whereas on coarse sand and gravel with 1,000 - 1,500mm of rainfall, the trees grew poorly and were of bad form[1]. The tree demands intense light and does not tolerate deep shade[299. In young secondary forest it cannot compete with the climbers and shrubs. It requires a well-drained soil[1]. This species is considered to be more water demanding and less drought-resistant than the closely related Milicia excelsa[1]. Cultivation of the plant has proven to be difficult because plantations are often severely affected by pest problems[1]. Young plants transplant well[1]. Four-year-old trees in a plantation in Nigeria were 9 metres tall with a stem diameter of 13cm[1]. The plant coppices well[1]. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[1].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed. A high germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 14 - 28 days[1]. When the seedlings are 5 - 6cm tall, pot them up into individual containers and they should be ready to plant out about 4 months later[1]. Stem cuttings. Good percentage[1]. Root cuttings. Good percentage[1]. Layering. Grafting. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Milicia+regia>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [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]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.