🌳 Tree
ANX-TREE-0000009
Croton
Croton megalocarpus
Croton (Croton megalocarpus), a fuelwood, shade, biodiesel, agroforestry tree of the Euphorbiaceae family.
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
- Tree type
- Fuelwood, Shade, Biodiesel, Agroforestry
- Mature height (m)
- 15-30
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Lifespan (years)
- 50-70
- Native region
- East Africa.
Environment
Growing Conditions
- Climate requirements
- Tropical highlands, typically 1200-2300m altitude with moderate rainfall.
- Soil types
- Tolerates a range of soils including moderately poor ground.
- Water requirements
- Moderate; reasonably drought-tolerant once established.
Cultivation
Planting & Care
- Planting guide
- Grown from seed, commonly planted as a boundary or shade tree on smallholder farms alongside coffee and other intercrops.
- Care guide
- Tolerates pruning/pollarding well for fuelwood and fodder management.
Phenology
Flowering & Fruiting
- Flowering season
- Small greenish-yellow flower spikes
- Fruiting season
- Woody capsules containing oil-rich seeds
Value
Uses & Economic Importance
- Uses
- Seed oil is used for biodiesel production, fuelwood/charcoal, shade for coffee, and livestock fodder from leaves.
- Economic importance
- A widely planted East African agroforestry tree, with growing commercial interest in its seed oil as a biodiesel feedstock.
Trade
Marketplace
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