Sasswood

Erythrophleum suaveolens

Native to:
Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Fabaceae
Genus:
Erythrophleum
Species:
Erythrophleum suaveolens
USDA Symbol:
ERSU14

Growth Characteristics

Height:
4000 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
mar,apr,may
Bloom Colors:
white, cream

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
birds
Deer Resistant:
Yes
Fragrant:
Yes
Fire Ecology:
Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
Fire Notes:
Tolerates savanna fires and resprouts from the base after burning. Common in fire-prone African woodlands.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
Common in tropical forests, prefers fertile soils

Propagation & Germination

Scarification:
Seed coat scarification required before sowing
Germination Time:
14–60 days
Notes:
Hard seed coat requires scarification (mechanical or hot water treatment) for successful germination.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI