Chukrasia tabularisChittagong Wood

The Chukrasia tabularis, known as Chittagong Wood or Indian Mahogany, is a tall mahogany-family tree of the monsoon forests running from India and Sri Lanka through Indochina into southern China. It builds a straight clean bole and a spreading crown of pinnate leaves, and each new flush comes through a striking coppery red before hardening to green.

The combination of fast growth, a good clear trunk and that seasonal flush makes it a strong avenue and park tree in monsoonal and humid subtropical climates.

Specifications

• Height20 to 30 metres, occasionally to 35 metres
• Width8 to 12 metres
• Native toSouth and Southeast Asia, from India and Sri Lanka through Indochina to southern China
• FoliagePinnate leaves with glossy leaflets flushing coppery red; briefly deciduous in a defined dry season
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers deep, well-drained loam and tolerates a range of soil types
• LightFull sun
• WaterModerate; regular through establishment and dry periods
• ClimateThrives in tropical and subtropical monsoonal regions

Additional Features

• FormStraight clean bole carrying a broad, evenly spreading crown
• FlowersSmall fragrant cream to yellowish flowers borne in loose terminal panicles
• UsesIdeal for avenue and shade planting, park canopy, and large-scale amenity and plantation schemes
• SpacingPlant 8 to 10 metres apart for avenues or 12 metres for open park groups
• Low MaintenanceNeeds only formative pruning to establish a clear trunk
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound, and notably less troubled by shoot borer than the true mahoganies
• Seasonal AppealThe coppery red flush of new growth is a distinct display in its own right

Chittagong Wood is a fast, well-formed canopy tree for humid climates, with a seasonal flush that most shade trees cannot offer.