Jatoba Tree (Hymenaea courbaril)
Scientific Name: Hymenaea courbaril — Jatoba, also called Brazilian Cherry.
Native Home: Tropical forests of Central and South America, including the Amazon region.
Height: 15–40 m.
Lifespan: Several hundred years under favourable conditions.
Uses and Harvesting
Timber: Extremely hard, durable wood used for flooring, furniture, and construction.
Harvesting: Mature trees are selectively harvested for valuable timber; fallen seed pods are also collected.
Age to Harvest: Approximately 30–60 years for timber, depending on growing conditions.
Products: Timber, flooring, furniture, edible fruit pulp, and traditional herbal products.
History and Global Production
Traditional Use: Indigenous communities have used its resin for incense and varnish, and its fruit pulp as food.
Global Spread: Native to tropical America, from southern Mexico through Central America and the Caribbean to South America. It is also cultivated in parts of tropical Asia.
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