Wholesale Pau d'arco / Ipe roxo

01.
A Bit of Botany

a little botanical information on pau d'arco

description
Tabebuia impetiginosa, a tree of the Bignoniaceae family, is a rather large deciduous tree, with trunks sometimes reaching 8 dm width and 30 m height. Usually a third of that height is trunk, and two thirds are its longer branches. It has a large, globous, but often sparse canopy. The tree has a slow growth rate.

Its bark is brownish grey, tough and hard to peel. The wood is of a pleasant yellowish color, barely knotted and very tough and heavy.

Leaves are opposite and petiolate, 2 to 3 inches long, elliptic and lanceolate, with lightly serrated margins and pinnate venation. The leaves are palmately compound with usually 5 leaflets.

It flowers between July and September, before the new leaves appear. In India, the flowering season is December to January, after the leaves are shed. The flower is large, tubular shaped, its corolla is often pink or magenta, though exceptionally seen white, about 2 inches long. There are 4 stamens and a staminode.

The fruit consists of a narrow dehiscent capsule containing several winged seeds.

common names & nomenclature
Tabebuia is an abbreviation of tacyba bebuya, a Tupi name meaning "ant wood". The common name pau d’arco is from the Portuguese pau-d’arco, literally “bow wood”.

Also known as:
pau d’arco, ipe roxo, pink ipê, pink lapacho, ipê-cavatã, ipê-comum, ipê-reto, ipê-rosa, ipê-roxo-damata, lapacho negro, pau d'arco-roxo, peúva, piúva, trumpet bush, trumpet tree

02.
Cultivation & Harvesting

considerations on growing and harvesting pau d'arco

climate
Tabebuia impetiginosa is naturally found growing in the wild of central to South American forests. Also grown in cultivation and as a street tree in some regions.

soil
Prefers a rich, fertile, moist tropical forest soil.

growing
Carefully remove the seeds from their papery covering. Do not break them--once they break they are no longer viable. Place the seed flat on the surface of the soil, cover with about 1/4 inch of soil, and tamp. Keep very warm and evenly moist. Germination is usually in 2 weeks, quicker with bottom heat, longer with insufficient heat. Transplant to larger pots when large enough, grow on for a season and then plant outdoors. This plant may also be propagated by cuttings.

harvesting
Pau d’arco bark is harvested all year, and then it’s dried and cut for later use. The most potent part of the tree is the inner bark, which must be aged after harvesting to maximize its effectiveness.

preserving
Store dried bark in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

03.
The Rest of the Story

pau d'arco history, folklore, literature & more

Pau d'arco—It’s Time You Heard About Pau d’Arco
Pau d’arco is an herb that most Brazilians and other South Americans are very familiar with. It’s been an important plant in that area of the world for thousands of years, believed to ease everything from skin irritation to a scratchy throat.

There are several applications for pau d’arco like skin ointments, teas, tinctures and liquid extracts.

You shouldn’t take pau d’arco if you’re pregnant or taking medications such as blood thinners. It’s best to talk with your healthcare provider before consuming pau d’arco.

04.
Where in the World

habitat and range for pau d'arco

Tabebuia impetiginosa is a native tree of America, distributed from northern Mexico south to northern Argentina. It is a common tree in Argentina's northeastern region, as well as in southeastern Bolivia. It is said to be indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago.