Butter Tree

Pentadesma butyracea

Native to:
Benin, Burkina, Cabinda, Cameroon, Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Clusiaceae
Genus:
Pentadesma
Species:
Pentadesma butyracea
USDA Symbol:
PEBU4

Growth Characteristics

Height:
2500 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Low
Bloom Months:
jan,feb,mar,dec
Bloom Colors:
pink, red

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
birds, bats, primates
Fragrant:
Yes

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
native to tropical rainforest regions

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
None required
Germination Time:
14–42 days
Notes:
Recalcitrant seeds with short viability; must be sown fresh and kept moist. Seeds germinate readily without pretreatment if fresh.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI