Important Trees of Haiti

Figure 4.3 C. longissima is typically pruned to
allow more sunlight to reach understory crops and
to increase its value as lumber.
Chenn 31
Haitian oak begins to flower
at an early age, usually within 2
years from seed. The flowers of
the species range in color from
white to pink. During the
months of June, July and
November, most trees are fruiting
with long, stringy, cylindrical
pods up to 40 em that split
open and scatter hundreds of
small brown seeds, 1 mm wide
and 8 mm long, and enclosed
with cotton-like fiber.
Throughout the year, caterpillars
and beetles attack mature
trees sometimes causing serious
defoliation. At other times of the
year, mostly at the beginning of
the rainy season, it is common to
see juvenile trees defoliated by
caterpillars, tortoise-shell beetles,
and skeletonizers (Fig. 4.4).
The wood exhibits hues of
light gray to a darker nearcbocolate
color. A local seed collector
claims that the darkerwooded
variety, sometimes
known as chenn nwa (black
oak), can be distinguished by the
reddish hue of the maturing seed
pod. The wood varies in density
from 0.60 to 0.80 g/cm 3 with a
straight grain that is easily
worked (Longwood., 1962).
Utilization: As a living tree, Haitian oak provides a light shade that is influenced in part
by defoliation and is controlled further by pruning. As mentioned previously, an important
byproduct ofpruning the tree is fuelwood. However, where the tree grows well, the
primary importance of Haitian oak is for the production of lumber. It ranks second to
mango as the main source of lumber in Haiti, though its wood is much more valuable.
Haitian oak is the wood of choice for fishing boats (Fig. 4.5). As a furniture wood, it is
favored over mahogany for its resistance to wood borers and for the natural grayishbrown,
lustrous color of its heartwood. The color of the wood is not as age-sensitive as
the color ofmahogany. Statues and woodcarvings made ofHaitian oak generally are left
in their natural color (Fig. 4.6).