Physical Characteristics
The bahai tree grows up to 20 meters high. Its bole is cylindrical, 60 centimeters in diameter, and eight meters long. It has buttresses.
The bark of a bahai tree is gray or dark brown and rough. The under-bark is pale yellow and less than 25 millimeters in thickness. The bark has no sap and the terminal buds are not enclosed by leaves.
Location
The bahai tree can be found in Cagayan; the Ilocos Povinces in Luzon; and Surigao and Zamboanga in Mindanao, particularly in forests at low and medium altitudes. This tree is found scattered in dipterocarp forests.
Method of Propagation
The bahai tree is propagated by seeds.
Contemporary Use
The wood of a bahai tree is used for making furniture, cabinet work, interior finish, and general construction.
How to plant your bahai seedling
Clear the area where you want to plant your seedling with unwanted weeds and debris. Make sure that a one-meter radius is kept free from other vegetation. Dig a plant hole with dimensions of at least 20 cm x 20 cm x 20 cm. Plant the seedling at proper depth. Root collar should be at level with or a little below the ground surface with the seedling oriented upward. Fill the hole with top or garden soil and press soil firmly around the base of the seedling. In plantation-making, seedlings should maintain a two-meter distance between seedlings if planted in a row of a three-meter distance from one strip to the next strip.
How to take care of your bahai seedling
Remove grass and other unwanted vegetation and cultivate the soil around the base of the seedling (50 cm radius) once in every quarter for two to three years. Place mulch around the base of the seedling (maintaining the 50 cm radius and using cut grass, leaves and other suitable materials as mulch base). Prune the branches at most 50 percent of the crown depth, preferably during dry season, and ensure that when pruning, you do not injure the bark. Remove infected or infested vegetation nearby to stop plant diseases from spreading and contaminating your seedling. Monitor regularly the growth of the seedling for presence of pests and diseases.
Data about native tree species are featured by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. For suggestions, email Nancy.Cudis@rafi.org.ph.