Common name: West Indian satinwood

West Indian satinwood is a landscape and timber tree originating from the Caribbean. Its natural range extends from Bermuda, south through the Bahamas, Florida Keys, Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, to the Eastern Caribbean. 

In the cool, dry parts of its natural range, it usually forms a shrub, but under warm, humid tropical conditions, it forms a medium-sized tree up to 25 m (82 ft) tall, though it is more typically between 15 and 20 m (50 and 65 ft). It grows slowly, reportedly averaging only 0.5 m (1.6 ft) in growth height per year.

On trees, the trunk is usually straight, evenly round, up to 50 cm (1.6 ft) in diameter, and in closely spaced forests clear of branches for more than two-thirds the tree's height. On open sites, young trees and shrubs develop a pyramidal-shaped crown that, with age, becomes more rounded.

Leaves are feathery, consisting of four to eight leaflets arranged in pairs along the length and with an extra leaflet at the tip. Individual leaflets are elongated-oval, 2.5 to 7.5 cm (1 to 3 in) long and dark glossy green. They remain on the tree where the dry season is short but fall to the ground where it is long and pronounced.

Flowers are small and insignificant but showy in abundance, greenish-white, unisex, either male or female on separate individuals, and borne in branched clusters arising at the ends of the branches. They bloom from winter to summer and are sweetly fragrant.

Fertilised flowers on female trees develop into small oval seedpods about 5 mm (0.2 in) in diameter. Green when young, they become dark brown and dry when mature, then split open to release a shiny black roundish seed.

Use

The tree is known for its wood, which has a high lustre, attractive figuring and is hard and heavy, averaging around 900 kg per cubic meter (56 lbs per cubic ft). However, it has a low natural resistance to rot and decay, making it unsuitable for use outdoors.

West Indian satinwood has long been used for making fine furniture and cabinets, particularly inlays and marquetry work, as well as for premium veneers. In its roundwood form, it is turned into decorative bowls and other artisan objects. The sapwood varies from near-white to pale yellow and progressively darkens to merge with the heartwood, which is creamy or golden coloured with a beautiful wavy grain and oily appearance. When freshly worked, it gives off a strong scent of coconut.

Unfortunately, the tree has been over-exploited for its wood, which has led to its listing as a vulnerable tree species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This brings attention to the need to protect the few remaining wild trees.

In Puerto Rico, the flowers are observed to attract large numbers of honeybees, and it is reported as a honey plant in Jamaica. Still, there does not appear to be much information on its importance to honey production.

West Indian satinwood is occasionally planted in urban areas for its shapely, attractive form and shade.

Climate

Grows naturally in humid subtropical and tropical climates, generally frost-free areas with annual lows of 19 to 25°C, annual highs of 25 to 35°C, annual rainfall of 900 to 2500 mm and a winter dry season of 5 months or less. However, it reaches its best development as a timber tree in humid tropical areas with a dry season of 3 months or less.

In Jamaica, West Indian Satinwood occurs at elevations from near sea level up to 490 m (1600 ft), in areas where the average low of the warmest month is 20°C (68°F) or above.

Growing

New plants are grown from seed sown in containers with a free-draining potting mix. Seedlings usually germinate after around six weeks but develop slowly and need tending in a nursery for up to a year before being planted out. At this time, they should be about 30 to 50 cm (1 to 1.6 ft) tall.

Performs best on free-draining clay, clay-loam, loam, sandy-loam and loamy-sand soils of a moderately acid to alkaline nature, generally with a pH of 4.5 to 8.0, and on sites with full sun exposure.

Problem features

Birds are known to eat the seed and probably contribute to the tree's dispersal. However, there does not appear to be any record of it anywhere as a weed or invasive species.

Exposure to sawdust causes allergic dermatitis in some people.

Books

• Adams, C. D. 1972, Flowering plants of Jamaica, University of the West Indies, Mona, Greater Kingston

• Barwick, M., et al. 2004, Tropical & subtropical trees : a worldwide encyclopaedic guide, Thames and Hudson, London

• Chudnoff, M. 1984, Tropical timbers of the world, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Washington, D.C.

• Fawcett, W. & Rendle, A. B. 1920, Flora of Jamaica, containing descriptions of the flowering plants known from the island, Department of Botany, British Museum (Natural History), London

• Francis, J. K. 1998, Tree species for planting in forest, rural, and urban areas of Puerto Rico, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico

• Francis, J. K. et al. 2000, Silvics of Native and Exotic Trees of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Islands, Technical Report IITF-15, USDA Forest Service, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

• Hill, A. F. 1952, Economic botany : a textbook of useful plants and plant products, 2nd ed, McGraw-Hill, New York

• Little, E. L. et al. 1964 and 1974, Common trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (2 volumes), Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Washington D.C.

• Porter, T. 2012, Wood : identification & use, Compact edition, Guild of Master Craftsman Publications, Lewes, East Sussex

• Record, S. J. & Hess, R. W., 1972, Timbers of the New World, Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut & Arno Press, New York

• Scheffer, T. C & Morrell, J. J. 1998, Natural durability of wood : a worldwide checklist of species, Forest Research Laboratory, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon

• Tatken, R. L., & C. A. Browning 1987, Health effects of exposure to wood dust: A summary of the literature. No. PB-87-218251/XAB, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio