Common Name: Teak
Classification: Tropical hardwood
Scientific Name: Tectona grandis
Family: Verbenaceae

Habitat / Climatic Requirement: Dry tropical region with ample rain for part of the year.

Appearance: Tall and narrow with an exceptionally straight trunk.

The Wood: Teak is a beautifully colored wood, ranging from golden to dark brown and sometimes even with reddish tints. It has a straight grain, is rich in natural oils, is easily worked, and dresses to a very smooth finish. Because of its natural oils, teak is very durable and resistant to moisture and the drying effects of exposure to weather. It is unique in that it does not cause rust or corrosion when in contact with metal.

Leaves: Large, dark green, and oval, with the top of the leaf being coarse and the bottom being smooth and shiny.

Trunk: Straight and often triangular at its base with a potential girth of 3 to 5 feet in diameter in a natural setting.

Tree top: Round.

Roots: Tap-root.

Bark: Rough, light grey.

Fiber: Uniformly hard.

Flower: Bluish to white flower, arranged in clusters.

Fruit: Drupe

Specific Weight: 0.70 grams per cubic centimeter.

Height: Over 30 meters (100 to 150 feet) with clear trunks of 80 to 90 feet.

Physical Changes: Looses foliage during dry season (January).

Qualities: Its high silicate content makes this species resistant to fire, acid, termite, and water damage. It has a long life and is easy to handle.

Desirability: One of the world's finest, most sought-after woods, valued for its high resistance to insects and weather, high workability and natural beauty
Localization: Costa Rica, Colombia, Honduras, Venezuela, and Indonesia

Status: Teak has been heavily exploited for more than a century, and it is increasingly difficult to obtain. Teak is listed as endangered and valued in reforestation efforts.

Spacing: Teak trees are planted in rows at a distance of approximately 9'x9', 3x3 meters.

Initial Growth Density: Approximately 1,100 trees per hectare. (1 hectare=2.43 acres)
Native of: India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Indonesia

Teak is not indigenous to Costa Rica and was brought originally from Burma in the 1940's. Due to its natural oil content, durability, strength, and extremely weather resistant qualities, teak is used throughout the world teak in shipbuilding and luxury yachts. It has been known to resist the attacks of insects and the corrosive effects of weather for hundreds of years. Prime applications include exterior planking, decking, and the decoration of buildings as well as interior construction. Due to its remarkable beauty and ease of maintenance, teak is also highly sought for crafting household furnishings, detail work, flooring, carvings, joinery, cabinetry, paneling, turnery, and veneer. Because of its scarcity and beauty, teak is considered a luxury item in furnishings and therefore will enjoy a secure spot in the market place of high priced, high quality wood items.

GROWTH PROJECTIONS

TEAK GROWTH RATES -- A RULE-OF-THUMB

by Dr. Raymond Keogh
Dear Colleagues;
I feel that the debate on growth rates of teak has gone on to long; growth rates for this species are well known and it is time to make this abundantly clear!

The question of growth rates in teak plantations has become a contentious issue in recent times. It is of crucial importance to teak growers and investors because timber production forecasts and financial returns depend on accurate predictions. Fortunately, we know more about teak growth rates n plantations than any other tropical hardwood. Growth and yield studies began in earnest last century and continue today. Growth is normally expressed interns of cubic metres per hectare per year and highest growth rates are normally expressed in terms of maximum mean annual increments (note: maximum current annual increments, which are higher than mean annual increments are not normally used in timber forecasting as they would produce erroneous predictions over the life of the crop).

A very tolerable rule-of-thumb can be applied across the tropics regarding highest growth rates in teak plantations. This rule-of-thumb does not change for wide definitions of stem volumes. ROWTH RATES WHICH EXCEED AN AVERAGE OF TWENTY CUBIC METRES PER HECTARE PER YEAR IN TWENTY YEARS ARE UNLIKELY TO BE ENCOUNTERED. In other words, only in exceptional circumstances will the total production of stem woody material exceed four hundred cubic metres in twenty years.

Growers and investros must base their predictions on avarages and not exceptional growth rates. Most practicing foresters in the tropics would be content to encounte an average annual growth rate of ten to fifteen cubic metres per hectare per year over twenty years on all their plantation site. Through good site selection and the planting of genetically improved seed, growers can boost avarages and avoid poor producing sites.

Genetic improvement may boost growth but is an expensive long-term activity. Growth may also be boosted in some cases by fertilizer application, but the identification of the necessary chemicals and their optimum rates of application are not fully understood. At the present state of development in teak, it would be unwise to expect that average growth rates can be boosted to reach or surpass the maximum rule-of-thumb growth rate for teak throughout the tropics. Even if it were possible to do so, it would be wise to have a clear understanding of the effects of this increasen wood quality.


Raymond M. Keogh
Teak 2000
1 May 1996.