Ocotea porosa aka Brazilian Walnut

Ocotea porosa is a tree in the laurel family, Lauraceae. People call it imbuia and Brazilian-walnut. It comes from the south and southeast of Brazil, and Paraguay. It grows in Araucaria forest and upland Atlantic rainforest. It favors sites where forest has grown back after damage or change. Kew places it in the wet tropical biome.

This tree grows slowly and sheds some, but not all, leaves. Its open crown has an oblong shape above a short trunk. Deep grooves often run along the trunk. Useful Tropical Plants gives a height of 49–66 feet [15–20 metres]. This lower reported range serves as a guide for landscape use. Plants For A Future gives a much greater height: 131 feet [40 metres]. The sources also give different trunk widths. Useful Tropical Plants gives about 1.6–4.9 feet [0.5–1.5 metres]. Plants For A Future gives widths up to 5.9 feet [1.8 metres].

Imbuia grows best in a sunny spot. Plants For A Future lists USDA hardiness zones 10–12. People plant it in landscapes for its looks. They also use it to help restore native woods. It is a pioneer tree that helps woodland return. Though it grows slowly, it feeds native wildlife. The sources give no clear flower color or bloom season. They give no set guidance on soil or watering, either.

Its wood has high value, and trade draws on wild trees. The heartwood, or inner wood, ranges from yellowish brown to deep brown. Thin, darker bands form uneven marks through the wood. A clear band of pale sapwood surrounds this inner wood. The wood has a fine texture and a pleasant scent. Its grain can run straight or interlock. Its weight and hardness fall in the middle range. The wood also lasts well. People use it for carpentry, wall panels, railway sleepers, and bridges. They also shape it by turning. The sources say it resists dry-wood borers, fungi, and termites. These claims apply to wood, not the health of living trees.

Heavy logging has cut wild numbers of this slow-growing species. Useful Tropical Plants cites an IUCN review from 2011. That review rates the tree as Vulnerable. Neither source lists human uses for food or medicine. This lack of recorded use does not prove safety. Sawdust can cause skin problems, so handling the wood poses a risk.