Hardwood · Medicinal
Red Sandalwood
Adenanthera pavonina L.
FamilyFabaceae
EspañolPeonía
AlsoFalse sandalwood tree, Red bead tree, Coral bean tree, Coralwood
A deciduous tree with an irregular, rounded crown, bipinnate leaves and small, fragrant, yellowish flowers in slender racemes. It is best known for its woody pods, which twist open to reveal glossy scarlet lens-shaped seeds that are strung into necklaces and were used for centuries in India and Sri Lanka as a standard weight for precious metals. The hard reddish wood is the source of the name red sandalwood.
Sourced · see Record tab Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. · IUCN
Worth knowingThe seeds are so uniform in weight (about four to a gram) that they served for centuries as jewellers' weights in India and Sri Lanka; Malaysia's first national car, the Proton Saga, is named after the tree's Malay name.
3on the estate
3carrying a tag
2sponsored
| Tag | Garden area | Zone | Planted | Status | Sponsored | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 209 | Muruga Circle | B | 16 June 2016 | Healthy | Shivakumar V., India | |
| 210 | Muruga Circle | B | 16 June 2016 | Healthy | Shaiskandan B., Canada | |
| 211 | Muruga Circle | B | 16 June 2016 | Healthy | — |
0 of these have no tag yet; they will be numbered when the garden team re-tags the estate.