Terminalia catappa seed
LATIN NAME: Terminalia catappa
COMMON NAME: Indian Almond, Tropical Almond, Sea Almond, Country Almond
The tropical almond is a noble and generous tree of the warm coasts, and its great, spreading crown and its tiered, horizontal branches have made it one of the most beloved of the shade trees of the tropics and the subtropics. It grows as a large, deciduous tree of the leadwood family, reaching up to thirty-five metres, with a broad, spreading, umbrella-like crown of the large, obovate, glossy leaves, which turn a fine range of the yellow, the red and the bronze before they fall, and, in the warm season, the small, inconspicuous, greenish flowers, followed by the famous fruits, the small, ellipsoid, greenish-yellow, edible nuts, the tropical almonds, each enclosed in the fibrous, flattened husk. It is native to the Asia, the Australia, the Pacific, the Madagascar and the Seychelles, while it is prized for its noble, spreading form and its edible nuts.
The tropical almond belongs to the leadwood family, Combretaceae, and it is a large tropical tree, native to the Asia, the Australia, the Pacific, the Madagascar and the Seychelles. It is known by the many names, including the country almond, the Indian almond, the Malabar almond, the sea almond, the tropical almond, the beach almond and the false kamani, while it is prized for its noble, spreading form and its edible nuts.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The tropical almond has a genuine and distinguished place in both fruit and chemical research. It has been studied in the food science and the nutrition, since the fruits are the edible, tropical almonds, and researchers have examined the kernels, their oil, their composition and their value, while the edible nuts of the tree have been a valued food of the coasts of the warm world for a very long time, and the nutrition of the tropical almond has drawn attention in the international food and nutrition press as an edible nut of the warm coasts. The tree has also been studied in the chemistry of the natural products, since the leaves and the other parts contain a range of the compounds, and researchers have examined their content and their potential uses, while the traditional uses of the leaves and the bark in the region have been examined, and the chemistry of the terminalias has drawn attention in the international natural-product press as a plant of continuing research. The species has also been studied in the horticulture and the landscaping, since it is one of the most beloved of the shade trees of the warm coasts, and its cultivation, its growth and its value in the avenues and the landscapes have been examined, while the great, spreading crown of the tree has drawn attention in the international landscaping press as a noble shade tree of the tropics. For a tree of such generosity, the tropical almond has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the tropical almond is a noble tree of the warm coasts. Its great, spreading crown gives a deep shade, and its edible nuts feed the birds, the crabs and the small animals, while it is a beloved presence along the beaches, the coasts and the avenues of the tropics and the subtropics.
Its economic value is real. The edible, tropical almonds are a valued food of the warm coasts, and their nutrition has drawn attention in the international food and nutrition press, while the tree is also one of the most beloved of the shade trees of the warm world, prized for its noble, spreading form. For a grower, the tropical almond is a rewarding and generous tree, and for a gardener in a warm, frost-free region it brings a great, spreading shade and a harvest of edible nuts. The seeds have a hard, fibrous coat and respond to a simple, well-known step — crack the fibrous husk, soak the kernels in warm water for a day, then sow them in moist, free-draining compost in a warm, sunny spot, and they’ll be on their way within a couple of weeks, growing on into a noble, spreading tree.
The first step is preparation. Fresh water needs to reach the living seed inside the protective casing. This can be done by sanding the seed in one spot until a hole appears, or using a Dremel tool to grind away a spot or cut a small portion of the seed coat away. Avoid the area at either end of the seed, as that is likely where it will sprout from.
Put in a shallow dish of fresh water and leave it overnight or about 24 hours. The seed will swell as it absorbs water. After that, it is planted in good soil in a pot at a depth of 1-1/2 – 2 inches. Do not let it sit in the water for a long time or it can start to rot. I have simply planted the seed without the soaking, with some good results.
Eventually a little shoot will emerge from the soil. After that, feed it with any good liquid fertilizer, follow the directions. Give it direct sunlight, and continue watering.
Keeping them alive outside in a cool winter climate is difficult.
If you can keep them inside As is the case with many tropical trees, tropical almond can be grown in a container where its size can be controlled.
Has salt and drought tolerance. It thrives as an ornamental tree in many tropical cities in the world, and can become a large deciduous stately tree, growing up to 90 feet tall.