Albizia saman (Monkeypod)
- TropPlant Accession Number (TPAN): 0003
- Botanical Name: Albizia saman
- Common Name: Monkeypod, Raintree, 5 O'Clock Tree
- Cultivar: N/A
- Family: Fabaceae
- Native To: El Salvador to Northern Columbia and Venezuela
Albizia saman showing flowers and leaves, which are closed during a rain.
Photo by Matthew Gaston
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Landscaping Information
- Plant Type: Tree
- Texture: Dense Canopy, Open below Canopy
- Form: Domed, Spreading Canopy
- Height (on average, in landscape use): 50'-80'
- Height to Spread Ratio: 1:2
- Growth Rate: Fast
- Landscape Values: Street Tree, Shade, Sculptural Form, Erosion Control
- Outstanding Quality: Form/Silhouette, Spreading form provides Shade
Albizia saman line McCarthy Mall at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Note the young tree on the left.
Photo by Matthew Gaston
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Albizia saman. Note the full, dense, spreading canopy.
Photo by Matthew Gaston
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Botanical Descriptions
- Flowers: Pink mimosa-like flowers arranged in an umbel-shaped inflorescence. Stamens are long and projecting, filament is white around the base and turns reddish towards the stamen.
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Albizia saman drawn by M. Blanco in "Flora de Filipinas.", ed. 3, t. 309 (1875) |
- Fruits: 6"-8" long, 0.75" wide, brownish black with tan margins, the pulp is brown and sweet.
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Albizia saman fruit aka "The Monkeypod"
Photo by Matthew Gaston
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- Foliage Color: Young/immature: light green. Mature: Bright medium green to dark green
- Leaflet Tip: Rounded
- Leaflet Base: Rounded
- Petiole: Lanceolate
- Stipules: leafy
- Margins: Smooth to Undulate
- Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
- Leaflet Shape: Oblong to Rhomboidal; asymmetrical
- Leaf Type: Twice Pinnate, Even-Pinnate
- Leaf Texture: glabrous, soft
- Leaf Special Notes: The leaflets fold onto each other when it rains and in the evening until dawn. This striking nyctinasty adds to the charm of the monkeypod. In Waikiki's International Marketplace, a mature monkeypod three stories tall can have its foliage and flowers enjoyed by guests on the top floor.
Albizia saman trunk and surface roots
Photo by Matthew Gaston
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Albizia saman open leaves
Photo by Matthew Gaston
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Albizia saman leaf
Photo by Matthew Gaston
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Albizia saman showing flowers and leaves, which are closed during a rain; hence the common name rain tree.
Photo by Matthew Gaston
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- Bark and Trunk: Rough, rugged, textured, and fissured. Highly valued wood.
Horticultural Information
- Light Preference: Full Sun.
- Light Tolerances: Semi-Sun
- Soil Preferences: Not Particular, Organic, Moist, Well Drained.
- Tolerances: Acidic, Alkaline, Compacted Soil, Moderate Winds, Humidity, Regular Watering, Drought (once established).
- Water Requirements: Mature trees are drought tolerant, but may become semi-deciduous and drop leaves. Young plants need ample water to become established. The best specimen are along water sources.
- Notes on Maintenance: sticky fruit pods and flowers can become messy. Seedlings can germinate and become weeds, yet they are easy to control due to the long hypocotyl, a wacker or mower can take care of the plantlets.
- Propagation: Seeds, self-seeding and plantlets can often be found under a mature tree.
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 10-11a
- Weed Risk Assessment Score (WRA): 4, Evaluate