Machilus pauhoi Seeds | Pauhoi

Dark, glossy Pauhoi seeds seated in a shallow fleshy cup, on a plain background — Pauhoi (*Machilus pauhoi*): Lauraceae, a tall evergreen timber tree of the warm forests of southern China.

LATIN NAME: Machilus pauhoi

COMMON NAME: Pauhoi

Plant Profile

Pauhoi is a tall evergreen tree of the laurel family, reaching thirty metres in good forest with a straight, clean trunk and a crown of leathery, glossy, dark-green leaves that are paler beneath. Its small, pale yellow flowers open in spring in loose panicles, and its black, fleshy fruits ripen in autumn.

It grows in the warm forests of southern China, from Fujian and Guangdong west to Guangxi and Guizhou, where it is one of the valuable hardwoods of the region. In Chinese it is pao hua run nan, and its bark and wood are both used, the one for incense and the other for furniture.

Science & Biotechnology

The species is one of the nanmu group of Lauraceae, a set of closely related evergreen trees whose timber is prized across southern China. Its wood is fine-grained, stable and takes a polish, and the bark yields an aromatic powder that is mixed with charcoal and binder to make the coils burned in Chinese temples and homes.

Machilus has been the subject of taxonomic revision, and many species formerly placed in it have been moved to Phoebe or to Persea; the Chinese nanmu group is still being sorted out with molecular data. Pauhoi is also of interest in forestry because it grows straight and self-prunes, which makes it a good candidate for plantation silviculture. In plantation trials in Fujian, pauhoi has shown steady annual increments on good sites, which is fast for a hardwood.

Uses & Benefits

Its timber is used for furniture, joinery, veneer and boat building, and its bark powder is the base of the incense coils sold across southern China and Southeast Asia. The fruits are eaten by birds, and the tree is planted along roads and in villages for shade.

In a garden it is a tree for a large space in a warm, humid climate, grown for its handsome evergreen crown and its fast, upright growth. It is too large for a small plot, but it makes a fine specimen or a shade tree in a park or a large garden.

Growing from Seed

Sow fresh seed, cleaned of its flesh, in a loose, humus-rich mix at 22 to 28 °C. Germination is quick and usually reliable, but the seed is short-lived, so sow it within a few weeks of collecting and keep it moist in the interval.

Keep the seedlings warm and humid, repotting them as the roots fill the pot, and plant out in deep, moist, well-drained soil in sun or light shade. Water through the first two summers and mulch to keep the roots cool. The tree needs shelter from frost when young, and it grows fast once its roots are down.

Our Take

A Chinese hardwood of the nanmu group, grown for timber and for the incense made from its bark. It needs room, warmth and moisture, and it repays them with a straight, handsome trunk.

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