Dalbergia latifolia Seeds | Indian Rosewood
LATIN NAME: Dalbergia latifolia
COMMON NAME: Indian Rosewood, Bombay Blackwood, East Indian Rosewood
Plant Profile
Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) grows as an evergreen tree, native to southern India and java, it thrives in warm, seasonally dry climates. The Indian rosewood is one of the most valuable timber trees in the world, and its beauty is legendary. Native to southern India and Java, it thrives in warm, seasonally dry climates, and it has been planted widely across the tropics, while overharvesting has made it a protected and closely managed species of conservation concern. Established plants reach around Thirty metres. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
Dalbergia latifolia sits in the Dalbergia group, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Indian rosewood has a distinguished record in both forestry and phytochemical research. For practical purposes the message is encouraging: generations of cultivation have produced plants of predictable, well-mannered garden character.
Uses & Benefits
Indian Rosewood brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Ecologically, Indian rosewood is a valuable tree of tropical forest. Its flowers feed bees and other pollinators, its pods feed birds and wildlife, and its large crown gives shade and shelter, while its nitrogen-fixing roots enrich the soil. Timber is one of the most prized in the world, used for fine furniture, veneers, carvings and musical instruments, and it commands very high prices. After the first season it asks for very little beyond a place that suits it.
Rosewoods yield the world’s most coveted furniture timber and aromatic heartwood oils; in Chinese medicine the heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera, Jiang Xiang, is a classical herb for blood stasis.
Growing from Seed
Seed is the natural starting point for Indian Rosewood, and the process is uncomplicated. Growing Indian rosewood from seed is easy and gives good results. Seeds sit inside flat, winged pods, and they do well in warm, moist conditions, though they have a tough coat, so soak them in warm water overnight, or nick them gently, before sowing. Use a loose, well-drained seed compost, sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly, and keep everything evenly moist in full sun. When the young plants are big enough to handle, space them into pots or a nursery row and let them size up before their final move.
Our Take
Indian Rosewood, Bombay Blackwood, East Indian Rosewood has real presence in the garden without demanding much in return. Given the right start, Indian Rosewood, Bombay Blackwood, East Indian Rosewood is a long-term garden companion. Young plants want steady water; older plants take conditions as they come.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Indian Rosewood often pair it with these related subjects: