Tembusu

Common name: Tembusu.
Scientific name: Fagraea fragrans.
Family name: Loganiaceae.
Indonesian name: Tembesu.
Sabahan name: Temasuk.
Thai name: Tam Sao.
Filipino name: Urung.
Cambodian name: Tatrao, Trai.
Burmese names: Anan, Ananma.

Tembusu Tree, Fagraea fragrans. This is a very hardy trees which can thrive and bloom even under adverse conditions. It is an impressive tree that can grow up to as high as 40m and have distinctive straight single trunk with deeply fissured bark. A native tree of secondary forest, it is well adapted to grow on poor soils in open areas. A long-lived tree, it can live up to 150 to 200 years. Branches arise from the main trunk and grow upwards. The leaves are simple, elliptical and narrowing towards the tip.



The Tembusu tree flowers twice a year, towards the middle and the end of the year. Flowering is gregarious, all trees flowering together, very unlike many of the trees growing in Singapore. Flowers are in bunches, shades of yellow and cream, nice fragrance especially towards the late evenings, attracting night-flying moths which help in their pollination.

Fruits of the Tembusu Tree is small roundish berries, but I have yet to see the real fruits yet.

I was writing about the Enchanted Tembusu Tree, walking around the house, doing something here and there, I saw two beautiful birds in flight, one black pigeon and one white pigeon, flying, spreading out its wings so beautifully flying pass in front of me, outside the window. What a beautiful sight, beautiful scene, stunning and amazing, WOW-filling inspiration, my heart burning, burning with passion, burning with excitement and wonder.

This morning, cool air, cool breeze, all blowing over me, SHIOK!

Brought Ricsson to school, and on my way back, at the traffic light, I smelled another beautiful fragrance. It was the camwood plant, Baphia nitida. I have not taken any photograph of it, but this is a very special shrubs, with white flowers that looked like orchid. This plant is normally plant near the fence, at garbage corner, like this picture below.

Bukit Batok, Singapore: Rose of India on the right hand side of the picture. Below is Camwood, Baphia nitida

What a beautiful gift God has given me, all for me to see, but my mission yet accomplished, fear of the unknown, mysteries yet to be unveiled....


This is the bark of the Tembusu Tree, One look at the bark and the tree trunk, you can tell it is Tembusu Tree trunk, special, with deeply fissured bark. The Tembusu wood is very hard and resistant to rot and termites. It can be used for making bridges, rafts, chopping boards, furniture, and house building.

The grand old Tembusu tree at Lawn E probably predates the Gardens, having established itself naturally on the wasteland left by gambir planting before the site was acquired by the Botanic Gardens. This tree has been identified as a heritage tree and is featured on the Singapore $5 currency note and in postage stamps.


Tembusu Links
More Pictures of Tembusu Tree
Tembusu Alumni