Gabon · #5 tree native
Bubinga
Guibourtia tessmannii · locally: kévazingo
Family: Fabaceae
A tree whose wood is worth a fortune – the illegal kevazingo trade sparked a high-profile political scandal in 2019.
A large tree of the legume family, reaching 40–50 m, that grows in the forests of Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Its very heavy, dark reddish-brown wood with purplish veining polishes to a high gloss. It is sought after for luxury furniture, tabletops cut from a single slice of trunk and musical instruments, while the bark is used in traditional medicine. The species grows slowly and has been protected under CITES since 2017.
Significance in the country
Kevazingo is a protected species in Gabon and is also believed to have spiritual power; in 2019 the disappearance of containers of illegally felled kevazingo from the port of Owendo led to the dismissal of the vice-president and the forestry minister.
Where it grows
Scattered single trees in the humid forests of northern and central Gabon, including the provinces of Woleu-Ntem, Estuaire, Moyen-Ogooué and Ogooué-Ivindo.
According to the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew), the species is native to this country. Source and licence