Albizia lebbeck seed
LATIN NAME: ALBIZIA LEBBECK
COMMON NAME: Lebbeck Tree
In the lowland scrub and the village groves of tropical Asia and Africa, the lebbeck tree grows as a broad, spreading, deciduous tree with the feathery, twice-divided leaves of many small leaflets and the fluffy, rounded heads of cream-white, sweet-scented flowers in the summer, the long, flat, pale-brown pods hanging through the winter. The tree steadily grows into a rounded crown, with a mature height of 5-10 metres. Plant it in full sun with deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The lebbeck tree appears in the studies of the nitrogen-fixing trees of the tropical lowlands, its feathery leaves and its long pods keeping it in view in the work on the shade trees of the farmlands and the hard timber trees of the dry tropics. The research looks at the way the twice-divided leaves fold at night, the flat pods ripen and hang, and the seed biology of the hard, glossy seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the tropical garden and the farm compound, the lebbeck tree spreads the wide, airy shade that cools the courtyard and feeds the soil with the nitrogen of its roots. The heavy timber has built the carts and the houses of the region, and the tree makes the fine shade tree, the avenue tree and the dryland tree of the warm garden. It is a tree for the open, sunny, deep and well-drained place.
To grow the Lebbeck Tree from seed, pour hot water over the hard seeds and let them stand overnight, then sow them.
Pour hot water over the hard seeds and let them stand overnight, then sow them, and keep the young trees in the open, sunny spot. in pots of sandy soil, keep them lightly watered, and the young trees get away in the full sun. The feathery leaves unfold with the warm season.
LATIN NAME: Albizia lebbeck
COMMON NAME: Lebbeck Tree, Siris Tree, Womans Tongue Tree
The lebbeck tree is a noble and generous shade tree of the tropics, and it has served people for centuries. It builds up into a broad, spreading crown, reaching twenty metres or more. In spring and summer it is covered with heads of fragrant, creamy-white flowers, each head a puff of long stamens, and these give way to long, flat, brown pods that hang from the branches and rattle in the wind, which is how the tree got one of its common names, womans tongue. It is a tree of fine foliage, fragrant flowers and generous shade.
The lebbeck tree belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae, and it is native to tropical Asia and Africa, from India through Southeast Asia. It has been planted throughout the tropics as a shade tree, an ornamental and a source of timber and fodder, and it is one of the most widely distributed tropical trees in the world.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a lebbeck tree from seed is easy and gives fast results. The seeds sit inside the long, flat pods, and they germinate readily in warm, moist conditions, though they have a tough coat, so soak them in hot water overnight, or nick them gently with a file, before sowing. Sow them in pots of free-draining compost, about a centimetre deep, and keep them warm, bright and evenly moist. Germination usually begins within one to three weeks, and the seedlings grow quickly. Pot them on as they grow, giving them full sun and good drainage. In warm, frost-free climates, they grow into large, spreading shade trees, and even in cooler regions they make handsome, fast-growing plants.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The lebbeck tree has a rich and varied record in both ecological and phytochemical research. It is one of the most important multipurpose trees of the tropics, studied for its value as a shade tree, its timber, its use as fodder for livestock and its nitrogen-fixing roots, which enrich the soil, making it valuable in research on agroforestry and land restoration. The bark, leaves and seeds contain saponins and other compounds that have been studied for their traditional medicinal uses, including as an anti-inflammatory and a treatment for allergies. In ecology, the tree is studied for its role in tropical ecosystems and its spread in some regions. For a tree of such wide usefulness, the lebbeck has a rich and practical record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the lebbeck tree is a generous tree. Its fragrant flowers feed bees and other pollinators, its foliage and pods provide food for livestock and wildlife, and it fixes nitrogen and enriches the soil while giving shade.
Its economic value is considerable. The timber is strong and durable, used for construction, furniture and carving, the foliage and pods are valued as fodder, and the tree is widely planted for shade, ornament and land restoration throughout the tropics. Its bark has traditional medicinal uses. For a grower, the lebbeck tree is a multipurpose tree of great value, and for a gardener in a warm climate it brings fragrant flowers, fine foliage and generous shade.
Albizia Lebbeck Also known as: Indian Siris, Womans Tongue, Silk Tree
A beautiful native tree to Indomalaya, New Guinea, Northern Australia and now widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical and subtropical regions. Well known for its wide range of uses. A nitrogen-fixing tree, with value for quality hardwood (cabinet, veneer, construction), fuel-wood and charcoal, and honey (source of nectar and pollen) an important food source for all wildlife in general. The extensive, shallow root system makes it a good soil binder and suited to soil conservation and erosion control. It is also used as an ornamental avenue tree, and makes a great shade tree. The bark contains saponins and tannins, used for making soap and in tanning.
It is deciduous and fast growing to a height of 18–30 m tall with a trunk 50 cm to 1 m in diameter. The leaves are bipinnate with one to four pairs of pinnae, each pinna with 6–18 leaflets. The cream white flowers are hemispheric pom-poms with numerous very fragrant long stamens, that are insect-pollinated . The fruit is a pod 15–30 cm long, containing six to twelve seeds. Hardy to USDA Zones 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F). The flowers, fruit, bark, leaves and roots are all used in medicine. Commonly used for allergy and skin conditions, blood and respiratory tract conditions. Albizia does not contain alkaloids.
Albizia Lebbeck Silk Tree – Exquisite flowers!
Albizia lebbeck is a species of tree, native to Indomalaya, New Guinea and Northern Australia, its widely cultivated and naturalised in other tropical and subtropical regions, and is one of the most widespread and common species of Albizia worldwide
It is a tree growing to a height of 18–30 m tall with a trunk 50 cm to 1 m in diameter and the leaves are bipinnate, 7.5–15 cm long, but this tree also makes a great Bonsai subject.
Protect from frosts. Minimum recomended temperature 5°C