Guarea guidonia aka Muskwood

Guarea guidonia is an evergreen tree in the Meliaceae family. Common names include muskwood, alligator wood, and West Indian redwood. Its native range covers tropical America, including the Caribbean. It also grows from Costa Rica and Panama into South America. It lives in wet tropical forests, river valleys, and floodplains. It occurs in old forests but more often in regrowth.

Garden descriptions give a height of 49 feet [15 metres]. They list a spread of 39 feet [12 metres]. Other accounts describe trees reaching 75 feet [23 metres]. The crown forms a broad, dense, rounded shape. Its straight trunk may stay branch-free for much of its height. Trees in open sites can branch close to the ground. Trunks reach about 3 feet [0.9 metres] across. The leaves are compound and stay on the tree year-round.

The flowers are white or nearly white. Flowering and fruiting can continue through much of the year. The fruit forms a capsule with seeds inside. Orange-red pulp surrounds the seeds. The tree attracts wildlife, with bees, butterflies, and birds among its visitors. Its dense crown provides shade in rural and urban landscapes. Growers in Haiti plant it with coffee, bananas, and other crops. In Puerto Rico, growers consider its shade too deep for coffee.

Muskwood prefers full sun but also grows in light shade. It needs moist soil with good drainage. It accepts sandy, loamy, and clay soils. Suitable soils range from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. PFAF lists USDA hardiness zones 10–12. Growth is slow, including during the years just after planting. Seeds lose viability soon and must not dry out. Sow fresh seed with its fleshy aril still attached. A lightly shaded nursery bed or separate pots suit sowing. Germination rates are low, with sprouting taking 30–50 days.

People harvest wild trees for timber and traditional medicine. The wood serves for furniture, cabinets, building work, and window frames. Its heartwood starts pink to red, then turns reddish brown. Fresh wood has a scent that fades as it dries. The wood also yields a reddish oil. Traditional remedies use bark, leaves, stems, and resin for several ailments. These uses do not establish safe home treatments. The sap is poisonous and corrosive. Reports also identify the leaves as toxic to cattle. PFAF records no known edible uses for this species.