Simarouba amara aka Bitterwood

Simarouba amara is a large evergreen tree in the Simaroubaceae family. Its native range runs from Mexico through tropical America. This includes Central America, the Caribbean, and much of northern South America. It grows in wet forests, moist thickets, and savanna forests. It also grows in both old forest and younger regrowth.

The tree grows fast and forms a wide crown. Useful Tropical Plants lists its height as 82 feet [25 metres]. Other accounts give heights of 115 feet [35 metres]. The largest trees can reach 138 feet [42 metres]. The sources do not give a clear garden height range. The straight trunk tapers and lacks buttresses at its base. Much of the lower trunk may have no branches. Its compound leaves each have nine to sixteen leaflets. Small yellow flowers grow in panicles. Fruits change from green to purple-black and hold large seeds. Large birds and mammals spread the seeds.

This tree suits warm, moist conditions in the lowland tropics. It grows best with mean yearly temperatures of 22–29°C. Its preferred yearly rainfall is 2,000–3,000 millimetres. It grows where dry seasons occur and where rain falls year-round. The tree tolerates shade and favours sandy soil in the wild. It also grows on shallow, rocky limestone slopes and deeper valley soils. Its roots stay close to the soil surface. Plants For A Future lists USDA hardiness zones 10–12. Fresh seed can sprout in partial shade within 20–40 days.

People grow this tree to help limit soil erosion. Its fruit pulp contains sugars and can flavour drinks. The seeds yield edible oil for baked goods and other foods. This does not mean all seed products are safe to eat. The cake left after oil extraction contains a toxin. People have long used the bark and leaves in folk medicine. Uses include treatments for fever, malaria, dysentery, and parasites. The plant contains quassinoids, compounds studied for activity against protozoa and malaria.

The tree also supplies pale, light, soft wood. Its grain tends to run straight, with a medium to coarse texture. Seed oil has uses in soap, detergents, cosmetics, lubricants, and fuel. Seed shells can supply fuel, charcoal, or material for particleboard. People harvest the tree from the wild for these products. They also trade its bark in local and overseas markets.