Iroko

Odum – “African teak”, Ghana’s most valuable timber and a revered tree that tradition says is home to spirits.

Iroko is a mighty tree of the mulberry family, reaching 50 m, with a straight, cylindrical trunk and a broad crown. It is dioecious; its catkin-like fruits are eaten and dispersed by fruit bats. The golden-brown wood, which darkens with age, is extremely durable and resistant to fungi and termites, which is why it is sometimes called African teak and is used for boats, furniture, floors and stairs. In many parts of its range it has been heavily depleted by logging.

Significance in the country

In Ghana odum is regarded as the finest native timber, and many old trees are revered as the dwelling places of spirits and sites of offerings. Because it has been so depleted, felling is strictly restricted.

Where it grows

Forests and the forest–savanna transition zone of central and southern Ghana – the Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Eastern, Western, Central and Volta regions; also scattered in the gallery forests of the north.

More: Wikipedia (en)