Tropicals, Woody > Trema > Trema orientalis > Trema orientalis
Trema orientalis
Indian Charcoal Tree; Pigeon Wood; Oriental Trema; Gunpowder Tree; Nalita
Origin: South Africa, Southern and Eastern China, Australia.
| Family |
| Cannabaceae |
| Genus |
| Trema |
| Species |
| orientalis |
| Category |
| Tropicals, Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous), Shrub (deciduous) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 13b |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 9a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1a |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 20 - 27 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 68 - 75 |
| Height |
| 18 m |
| Spread |
| 13 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| Landscape |
| Used as a screen, windbreak and in home gardens as it produces edible fruit and leaves. Can tolerate a hard pruning. |
| Cultivation |
| Will tolerate acidic to basic soil conditions but thrives in a light sandy loam. Will not tolerate waterlogged soil. Not urban tolerant. |
| Shape |
| Round canopy. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| ID Characteristic |
| Long hairy twigs with lots of long, narrow pointy leaves attached. |
| Pests |
| No known pests or diseases. |
| Habitat |
| Rain forests. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| New growth is smooth that roughens with age. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Small round buds that grow in clusters of 3. |
| Leaf Description |
| Rounded by the petiole, acute near the tips, serrated edges and alternate in arrangement. |
| Flower Description |
| Small white flowers. |
| Fruit Description |
| Tiny black berries, about 5 mm in diameter, that grow in small clusters along the stems. |
| Colour Description |
| Green foliage year-round with small patches of black berries and small white flowers on its stems. Light grey young bark with aged dark brown bark. |
| Texture Description |
| Soft. |
| Propagation |
| Propagation by cuttings. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Used to make charcoal and paper. Research is currently underway to determine further medicinal uses of this tree. |
References
Orwa C, A Mutua, Kindt R, Jamnadass R, S Anthony. (2009) Agroforestry Database: a tree reference and selection guide.
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