About Tipuana tipu (Benth.) Kuntze
Tipuana tipu (Benth.) Kuntze is a species most widely known for its use as a shade tree. It grows up to 30 metres (98 ft) tall and 20 metres (66 ft) wide. Its leaves are pinnately compound and 10 inches (25 cm) long, with pinnules that are typically 1 to 3 inches (2 to 7 cm) long. A single tree can bear both paripinnate and imparipinnate leaves. The tree produces bright yellow flowers that bloom for only a short period in late summer. Its fruit is a hard pod that holds a single seed at one end, and resembles the samara fruit produced by ash trees of the genus Fraxinus. In most growing locations, Tipuana tipu is a deciduous tree. It sheds all or most of its leaves, alongside its large "helicopter" pods, annually from midwinter to spring. It produces large quantities of seeds, and most of these seeds successfully germinate. It can tolerate a very broad range of growing conditions, including temperatures as low as −4 °C (25 °F), salty soils, and drought. Its timber is whitish, strong, and fibrous.
