THE PHILIPPINE NATIVE TREES
1. Magkono (Xanthostemon verdugonianus) It’s versatile. At waist high it already produces a beautiful red foliage and crimson red flowers. It produces the hardest and most expensive Philippine timber, ironwood.
2. Agarwood (Aquilaria cumingiana) The wood (and oil) is very expensive. I have high hopes about our country exporting this in the future.
3. Patalsik-pula (Decaspermum blancoi) Seeing it up close and in full bloom really takes your breath away. It’s a shrub and can make for a very beautiful urban landscape material.
4. Malabayabas (Tristaniopsis decorticata) At early stages it already shows the beautiful red bark and reddish new leaves. Only Magkono wood is harder than Malabayabas. You should see a full grown, red Malabayabas tree at least once in your life.
5. Toog (Petersianthus quadrialatus) The tree is majestic, like rosewood pillars worthy of standing in a king’s hall. I would love to have rows of this in my property. It also grows fast and its wood is highly sought after.
6. Balai-lamok (Crateva religiosa) At summer, it sheds its leaves and produces the multi-colored blooms. We can compete with the Japanese cherry blossom if we propagate this tree.
7. Bagoadlau (Xanthostemon philippinensis) This ironwood tree has yellow flowers. The only reason it’s in 6th place is I’ve never seen the blooms personally. I presume it behaves like all the other Ironwood species we have.
8. Kamagong (Diospyros species) I like the ebony colored wood. I think it has the most beautiful grain among our trees. Unfortunately it’s so slow growing. And I haven’t figured out which species has a pure black core wood or stripes. I’m biased towards utilization.
9. Ipil (Intsia bijuga) I like the dark colored wood of Ipil and its durability. It gorws very well on the beach and on the mountains. There is evidence now that it can be harvested as early as 15 years.
10. Akle (Albizia akle) Arguably holds the title of having the most beautiful grain among our native species. Its a tie with Ipil.
11. Red Lawaan (Shorea nigrosensis) This is a massive tree, like the Northern hemisphere Redwoods. I theorize that it grows fast for a Dipterocarp. It is also so hard to acquire! It is one of the more expensive Dipterocarps due to its darker hue and durability.
12. Nato (Palaquium species) It grows as fast as mahogany, is more expensive, has an aesthetic finish and is very workable. That’s why Nyatoh timber is popular internationally.
13. Mindanao Cinnamon (Cinnamomum mindanensis) Among the Cinnamons we have, it has the strongest spice. It also grows relatively fast and produces a fairly durable timber with beautiful grains.
14. Dao (Dracontomelon dao) It grows as fast as mahogany, is more expensive, has beautiful black grains over a cream background. But the wood processing technique for Dao has yet to be mastered, it warps. So for now it’s best for veneer.
15. Lamog (Planchonia spectabilis) This is a massive tree. It grows very fast and is considered a semi-rosewood due to its reddish hue.
16. Guijo (Shorea guiso) Among the Dipterocarps (our first class timber species), this is fast growing, is quite drought resistant and has very durable timber.
17. Kalantas (Toona calantas) It grows as fast as mahogany, is more expensive, has an aesthetic finish and is very workable. Kalantas is a close relative of Mahogany but grows to larger diameters.
18. White Lawaan (Shorea contorta) White Lawaan is the fastest growing among the Dipterocarps. Evidence shows it grows as fast as Paper tree (Gmelina) but produces more wood volume.
19. Palosapis (Anisoptera thurifera) Fast growing among the Dipterocarps, withstands open spaces, fruits every year (unlike the once every 3-8 years fruiting Dipteros) and has a beautiful red-orange wood.
20. Bitaog (Calophyllum inophyllum) It thrives on beach and sand. It can also thrive in the mountains. It has durable timber and can be harvested for that purpose in as fast as 10 years.
21. Almaciga (Agathis philippinensis) This is also a giant. The sap is very fragrant and flammable. The wood has beautiful grains. It is very difficult to grow in the lowlands.
22. Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) Known as the national tree of the country, the Narra tree is a native tree found in primary and secondary forests at low and medium altitudes throughout the country. Highly sought-after for its purplish rose-scented hardwood, Narra’s wood is often used in the furniture-making industry primarily because it is generally termite-resistant.
23. Molave (Vitex parviflora) The Philippines is peppered with Molave forests. These native trees commonly grow in both secondary and open primary forests at low altitudes. While it is common to the country, Molave is also native to Malaysia and Indonesia. Known to be one of the trees that produce the hardest wood, Molave can grow up to thirty meters. It is typically used in high-grade construction where strength and durability are necessary. Similarly, Molave wood is also used in railroad ties and shipbuilding. Molave trees grow purplish flowers that grow in numerous clusters at the end of their small branches. The native tree’s leaves are known to be resistant to most pests—whether fungal, termites, or beetle attacks and are used as fodder. As Molave is one of the vulnerable native tree species in the country, it has often been used in reforestation endeavors and projects all over the country.
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