Teak

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A teak sapling, photographed in Thailand and released under a CC license by Flickr user dsin

Teak is a tropical hardwood. Of the three species of teak, Tectona grandis (Common Teak) is by far the most important, with a wide distribution in India and Indo-China where it's native.

So far, Common Teak has been the most popular type of hardwood tree for plantation projects in Latin America, although it's certainly not the most suitable type of tree for these regions, especially for the more wet regions; without a long dry period, some teak plantations in the wet regions suffer from the Teak syndrome.

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[edit] Description

Teak can grow up to a height of 115 feet. Its cylindrical stem has a partly irregular cross section and can reach diameters of up to three feet. It has a usually 1.2 to 1.8 thick, grey to grey brown bark that flakes off easily.

The shady dense crown consists of up to 24 inches long strong leaves that have a dark green surface and a yellowish green, felt like under-surface. The fresh reddish leaves of the seedlings can be used to dye fabric. During the dry season, Teak trees shed their leaves and stay almost bare-branched for five months.

The cream colored blossoms are growing on multiflorous panicles with a size of approx. 16 inches during the tropical raining season.

Teak seeds are brownish globular stone fruits with a diameter of up to 0.6 inches.

[edit] Geography

Teak is native to the deciduous monsoon forests of South and Southeast Asia.

[edit] Forestry

Teak depletes the soil and makes it acid, rendering it unusable in the long term.

The superficial root system cannot withstand every storm. However, Teak is quite resistant against fire and other harmful factors.

[edit] Uses

Teak wood is in great demand due to its excellent quality and extraordinary color. In general, it has straight fibers and is easy to work on. The heartwood is resistant against insects and yellow to dark brown whereas the sapwood is bright. Teak is largely used for high quality furniture and ship decks.

[edit] Plantations/ Projects with Teak


[edit] External links

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Latin nameTectona grandis  +
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