Hi!
I wanted a big, sturdy shade tree for my patio. I was sold this tree which is locally called " butong tree". Could anyone please give its scientific name so I could google and learn about its care and maintenance?
Thanks!
Please help ID this tree
Butong is Barringtonia asiatica, but this looks more like Terminalia catappa - both very widespread tropical coastal trees...
Barringtonia asiatica has glossy leaves and they are fairly densely spaced. Terminalia catappa leaves aren't glossy and are a bit more openy spaced. It looks more like the Barringtonia to me.
Yes you are right! I was having a senior moment and confusing the look of Barringtonia leaves with Calophyllym inophyllum (from the same habitat)!!
Thanks, Alistair and tropicbreeze.
I googled barringtonia asiatica and learned that this tree bears flowers (great!)...but that all its parts are poisonous (yuck!)...and that it attracts bats at night and serves as a great host for the magnificent atlas moth ( yikes!).
I had a small one, about 2.5 metres, when I lived in Jabiru. Cyclone Monica came along and knocked over some large trees near it. When the council did the clean up and took the fallen trees out they also ripped out the Barringtonia. They also ripped out a small Peanut Tree, Sterculia quadrifida, but it resprouted from the root. I got a seed of Barringtonia a couple of years ago and now have a small plant growing at my current place. Some friends have one about 7 years old, very bushy and something like 6 metres high. I remember seeing huge ones, 20+ metres high in Madang, PNG. They're a great shade tree, if you've got the room.
I remember the ones in Madang too :)
Hi tropicbreeze!
I would really appreciate hearing from you on the following since you have seen a 7-year-old huge barrytonia:
1. Would the circular soil space provided for my tree ( as shown in the picture) be sufficient for its trunk when it grows big?
2. When it grows huge as you had seen, would its roots somehow bulge out and destroy the patio flooring?
Thanks for you input.
P.S.
Tropicbreeze, the barrytonia that you see in the picture is only 7 feet high...still very young compared to the 20+ meters that you had seen.
I looked to see if I could find photos of the tree amongst my PNG photos, but see any. From memory, the large tree trunks would have a diameter greater than the soil space you've provided. And I remember the roots bulging up out of the ground around the tree. I don't think it would be suitable, at a large size, for the area you have chosen for it. Although it may take 10 or more years to become a problem.
I do have a Terminalia catappa which is quite tall but the trunk would still probably fit into that space. It does have a slightly buttressed trunk but the roots aren't bulging up out of the ground anywhere. It's a much faster grower than the Barringtonia. It drops it's leaves very late in the dry season but gets all the new ones back within about 3 weeks.
OK thanks for that info...
This tree must really be very huge when full grown coz the circular soil space I provided which you estimated to be rather small is already over a meter in diameter. I just hope it doesn't grow as gigantic as the red wood of California!
May need to do some adjustments :)
Thanks again!
I love your patio pavillion balaitalisai. I would live there in the hot weather.
Hi stellamarina!
You are welcome to visit! :)
Hi Tropicbreeze!
Would you know what is destroying my botong tree as shown in the picture? Whatever it is has also affected my 2 rainbow shower trees and many mini gumamelas. Is it caused by worms? But I don't see any on the leaves...too much water? too much sun?
Would appreciate any advice.
Thanks.
Here's another picture of what's wrong with my young botong tree
Is it only on the oldest leaves? It looks like normal ageing to me....
I think you are right, Alistair. The other leaves don't have brown spots. But caterpillars seem to like eating them.
This picture shows young leaves already sprouting from the top...and they are colored red...the tree seems to be ok.
Thanks for you input!
Odette
