Acrocarpus Fraxanifolis, Pink Cedar, Mandania - 0.5 kg Seeds

Acrocarpus fraxinifolius, the pink cedar, mundani or shingle tree, is a tall, fast-growing deciduous timber tree of the evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of the Western Ghats and the hills of north-east India. It has a straight cylindrical bole, large doubly compound leaves that flush coppery-red, and showy scarlet flower spikes.

Its pale to pinkish-brown wood is a valued general-utility and plywood timber used for furniture, panelling, packing cases and tea chests. The tree is also planted as a graceful avenue and shade tree and as a fast overhead shade for coffee, tea and cardamom plantations, where its light canopy and nitrogen-enriching habit are prized.

• Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
• Native region: Western Ghats and the eastern Himalaya/north-east India
• Mature height: 30-40 m
• Growth rate: very fast

Soak the seeds in water for about 24 hours (a brief hot-water dip helps stubborn lots) to soften the coat before sowing. Sow about 1 cm deep in a well-drained nursery mix kept warm and moist; germination usually takes 14-21 days. Prick the seedlings into poly bags and transplant during the monsoon.