Mazhar Botanic Garden

Hura crepitans L.

Sandbox tree

Sample code: EGY-MBG-000250
English name: Sandbox tree
Native: Tropical regions of North and South America
Country: South America
(PGR): Common

Fast-growing tree, semi-deciduous grow up to 30-50 m tall, 1-2 m in diameters Flowers monoecious, male red flowers with no petals borne on a spike inflorescence about 5 cm long, female reddish brown, solitary and leaf axils Fruit is a dehiscent pumpkin-shaped capsule about 3 - 5 cm long and 5 - 8 cm wide, turns to reddish-brown when ripen, contains flattened seeds about 2 cm wide

Soil: prefers wet soil, sandy or clay soils

Ornamental plant. The wood is used for furniture under the name "hura". Before more modern forms of pens were invented, the trees' unripe seed capsules were sawn in half to make decorative pen sandboxes (also called pounce pots), hence the name 'sandbox tree'

Hura brasiliensis Willd, Hura senegalensis Baill

.
Texture: Sandy
Fertility: High
Drainage: Moderately well drained
Salinity: Low
Water Sources: Moderate Water
Climates: Subtropics Temperate Tropical
Lights: Full sun
Propagation: Seeds
Flowering time: Early summer
Zone: 11 : 11
pH range: 5.0-8.0
Status: Cultivated
Life span: Perennial
Habits: Tree
Sample Type: Introduced - cultivated
Collecting Sources: Botanical garden
Plant Uses: Furniture
Plant Populations density: Cultivated
Vegetation types: Deciduous
pH: Acid Alkaline

The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and Mazhar Botanic Garden does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.