Dalbergia oliveri Seeds | Dalbergia Rosewood
LATIN NAME: Dalbergia oliveri
COMMON NAME: Dalbergia Rosewood
Plant Profile
Dalbergia oliveri, better known as Dalbergia Rosewood, is a tall, deciduous tree in the pea family (Fabaceae), native to warm forests of the south-eastern Asia, while it is treasured for its fine, richly coloured, fragrant wood. Old trees grow slowly, putting on a little wood each year, and their heartwood darkens to a rich, deep colour over the decades. Taken as a whole, it is a plant that repays a little attention many times over.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of the pea family, Dalbergia oliveri draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. Most of interest in this tree has come from its wood. For practical purposes the message is encouraging: generations of cultivation have produced plants of predictable, well-mannered garden character.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Dalbergia Rosewood has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. In forest and the garden, the Dalbergia rosewood is a tree to treasure. Its small, white or pale-pink, pea-like flowers feed bees and many insects, and its flat, papery pods feed birds, while its broad, rounded crown gives a fine shade. Its richly coloured, fragrant heartwood has long been treasured for fine furniture and carvings of region, and native trees are best left to their forests. Given the right start, it carries on with minimal intervention.
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
Starting Dalbergia Rosewood from seed is simple and satisfying. Sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly into a loose, well-drained seed compost, water in gently, and keep the sowing in bright light with steady moisture. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
The medicinal tradition behind this species, outlined above, is a large part of its interest. Once established, Dalbergia Rosewood largely looks after itself. Even moisture while the seed is chitting is the main thing; afterwards it largely looks after itself.
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