The Samanea saman tree, commonly known as saman, the rain tree, the Guayaquil ceiba, the American rain tree, or Montecarlo in some countries, is a majestic tree widely valued for both its shade and its ecological benefits.
Scientific name: Samanea saman
Family: Fabaceae (legumes)
Origin: Tropical America, native from Mexico to northern South America
Botanical characteristics
Height: 15 to 25 meters, but can reach up to 40 meters in ideal conditions.
Crown: Very wide and spreading, umbrella-shaped. It can exceed 30 meters in diameter.
Trunk: Thick, straight, with rough, grayish bark.
Leaves: Bipinnate (compound leaves with several pairs of leaflets), glossy green. They fold at night or on cloudy days, hence its name “rain tree.”
Flowers: Small, with numerous pink or reddish stamens. Very attractive to bees.
Fruit: Woody, dark brown, curved, and somewhat sticky pod. Contains seeds encased in a sweet pulp.
Uses:
Shade: Ideal for parks, cattle farms, and roads thanks to its dense canopy.
Forage: The sweet pods are edible and nutritious for livestock.
Wood: Moderately hard, easy to work. Used in carpentry, cabinetmaking, and furniture.
Ornamental: Highly prized for its beauty and majesty.
Reforestation: Used in ecological restoration projects.
Ecological Aspects:
Growth: Rapid, especially in well-drained soils.
Nitrogen Fixation: As a legume, it improves the soil by fixing atmospheric nitrogen.
Tolerance: Resistant to drought, strong winds, and poor soils.
Associated fauna: Attracts bees, birds, bats, and other pollinators and dispersers.
Current distribution
It is cultivated in many tropical regions of the world: South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
Very common in rural and urban areas of countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, and also in Asia (the Philippines, India, Thailand).
