TREE OF THE MONTH - Akle (Albizia acle (Blanco) Merr.)

Physical Characteristics

Akle is a medium-sized tree reaching a height of 25-30 meters and a diameter of 70 to 120 centimeters. It is a deciduous tree (shedding its leaves during the dry season) and intolerant to shade.

The bole is cylindrical, generally short and crooked, ranging from 40 to 60 centimeters in diameter and a height of 10 to 18 meters.

The leaves are bipinnately compound and opposite.

The flowers are greenish white and borne on small, rounded heads.

The trunk has no buttress but has swollen roots.

The crown is broadly spreading and open.

The bark is dark brown, brittle, and creamy white when freshly cut. It turns to vermillion or reddish yellow after exposure.

The species has a slow growth rate. Normally, a 25-year-old tree attains a growth of approximately 16 meters in height and 23 centimeters in diameter.

Distribution

Akle is found in northern Luzon to Palawan and Negros in humid lowland forest from sea level to 150 meters. It sheds off its leaves when flowering starts. The young leaves develop during flowering. It is also found in Albay, Bataan, Bulacan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Capiz, Cebu, Davao, Ilocos Norte, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Negros Oriental, Nueva Ecija, Surigao, Tarlac, and Zambales

Method of Propagation

Akle is propagated only by seeds.

Contemporary Use

The wood is one of the best materials for cabinet-making because of its color, good grain quality, and durability. It is also used for gunstocks, carvings, sculpture, and musical instruments, as well as for interior finish, panels, and high-grade furniture. The tree is also a substitute for black walnut. It is also used for house construction, naval construction, railroad ties, high-quality furniture, sills, general construction, charcoal, and interior trim of automobiles and other vehicles.

How to plant your akle 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 akle 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 comments and suggestions, e-mail [email protected].