West Indian Locust Tree (HT 2014 231)

Reference ID
HT 2014-231

Scientific name: Hymenaea courbaril
Family name: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Girth: 3.3 m @ 1.3 m height
Height: 32.8 m

Location
Singapore Botanic Gardens,
Lawn near Corner House

This is a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 25 m to 40 m in height. Its trunk is massive and cylindrical from the base. Its bark is smooth, pinkish-brown in colour, often cracking at the branch-trunk junction. It has compound leaves, with leaflets that are oblong elliptic, dark green, leathery, about 10 x 2cm in size, and dotted with minute oil glands. The flowers are about 3cm wide and smell of sour milk. Pods are heavy and woody and stink when bruised.

The West Indian Locust Tree originated from the tropical American jungles and was introduced to Singapore in 1875. A quick-growing evergreen tree, it can be recognised by the twin leaflets (compound leaves) and the woody fruit pods. The tree produces a strong timber and yields a resin used to manufacture a quality varnish called copal.

For more information on this species, please refer to NParks Flora & Fauna web profile here.

Gallery

📷: Hazri Boey