Plants

jequitibá

Cariniana legalis (Mart.) Kuntze

Family: Lecythidaceae · Genus: Cariniana

Brazilian giant tree

Climax Emergent

jequitibá — Luciana Serra · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons

Emergent giant of the Atlantic Forest; climax species forming the uppermost canopy stratum of dense ombrophilous forest. Can exceed 60 m at maturity. Threatened with extinction.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage: Climax
Ecological role: Climax
Primary stratum: Emergent
Strata: High, Emergent

Environment

Light requirement: Partial sun
Water requirement: High
Soil pH range: 5.5–6.5
Preferred soil texture: Clayey, Loamy
Hardiness zones: 9–11
Frost tolerance: -2.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height: 25–60 m
Root system: Taproot
Root depth: Deep
Growth rate: Slow
Lifespan: ≥ 300 years

Biomes & climate

Atlantic Forest Native

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Jequitibá takes the Emergent stratum in the Climax phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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🪴 Cultivation

Prefers deep, well-drained, organo-clayey soils rich in organic matter with good moisture retention; tolerant of a wide range of soils (optimum pH 5.5–6.5). Tropical/subtropical climate (20–30 °C); resists light frost, but young trees do not tolerate intense cold. Seeds emerge in 12–20 days; in pure plantings reaches ~3 m by year 2.