Common Name: Saga Tree
Other Names: Red Bean Tree; Red Sandalwood; Remembrance Bean Tree
Botanical Name: Adenanthera pavonina
Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Main Features
*Medium-sized deciduous tree which grows up to 15 to 20m tall.
*Spreading rounded crown which grows up to 30m.
*Compound bipinnate leaves which turn from yellow to green as it ages. Leaves are shed every 6 to 8 months.
*Tiny creamy-yellow star-shaped flowers with drooping rat-tail like flower heads and five petals each.
*Fruits are in the form of curved hanging green pods that will turn brown, coil up and split open to reveal small bright red seeds when they ripen.
General Information
A hardy, fast-growing and low-maintenance tree.
Native to southern China and India.
Grows best in neutral to slightly acidic soils.
Useful as shade, and also acts as an ornamental tree.
Uses
Leaves can be cooked and eaten.
Raw seeds are toxic and can cause intoxication, but are edible (and rich in protein and oil) after cooking.
Seeds can be used as weight measure, in particular for gold and silver.
Seeds can also be used to make necklaces.
The oil produced by grounded seeds can be used as an industrial lubricant.
Wood can be used to make houses, furnitures and cabinetry.
Wood can also be used as firewood, as it burns well.
Red Dye obtained from the wood is used by Hindu Brahmins to make religious markings on their foreheads.
Can be planted as "nurse trees" in coffee, rubber and clove plantations.
Red Powder from grinding the wood can be used as an antiseptic paste.
Grounded seeds can be used to treat boils and inflammations.
Decoction of the leaves can be used to treat rheumatism and gout.
Bark can be used to wash hair.
The entire tree can help fix nitrogen levels and rejuvenate soils.Interesting Information
The red seeds are relatively uniform in size and weight, with 4 seeds weighing 1 gram. Thus, they were also widely used as weight measures in the past.
Malaysia's national car, Proton Saga, is named after the Saga tree.
The Saga tree is a heritage tree in Singapore.
The Saga tree is removed from roadsides and other areas mainly because it is susceptible to damage in strong winds and has a tendency to become untidy with age.
The name "Saga" is linked to the Arabic term for "goldsmith".
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