🌳 Tree
ANX-TREE-0000007
Spanish Cedar
Cedrela odorata
Spanish Cedar (Cedrela odorata), a timber tree of the Meliaceae family.
- Family
- Meliaceae
- Tree type
- Timber
- Mature height (m)
- 20-30
- Growth rate
- Fast (in youth), slowing with age
- Lifespan (years)
- 100+
- Native region
- Tropical Americas (Mexico to Argentina), cultivated more widely in agroforestry systems.
Environment
Growing Conditions
- Climate requirements
- Tropical, lowland to mid-elevation, with moderate to high rainfall.
- Soil types
- Deep, fertile, well-drained soils; grows poorly in compacted or waterlogged ground.
- Water requirements
- Moderate to high; does not tolerate prolonged drought or waterlogging.
Cultivation
Planting & Care
- Planting guide
- Grown from seed or nursery seedlings, typically in agroforestry systems or timber plantations, often intercropped when young.
- Care guide
- Susceptible to shoot-borer moth (Hypsipyle) attack, which is a major constraint on plantation-scale cultivation; mixed-species planting reduces pest pressure.
Phenology
Flowering & Fruiting
- Flowering season
- Small, fragrant white-green flower clusters
- Fruiting season
- Woody capsule releasing winged seeds
Value
Uses & Economic Importance
- Uses
- High-value, aromatic, insect-resistant timber traditionally used for furniture, cigar boxes, and cabinetry.
- Economic importance
- One of the most valuable tropical timber species in Latin America, though wild populations are heavily depleted and it is now CITES-listed.
Trade
Marketplace
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