This Native Tree Is Full of Goodness!

A leguminous tree from Indonesia – typically used for medicine, animal feed, fuelwood, and more – will now also help the nation in its quest for landscape restoration, sustainable livelihood, and bioenergy.

“We planted the trees a year ago, and so far they are growing faster than other similar species,” says Budi Leksono, a professor at Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry and Environment’s Research and Development Agency (FORDIA). “This suggests they may be particularly tolerant to harsh conditions, and would then be especially promising for restoration and rehabilitation of degraded land.”

The pongamia, which can reach a height of 15 to 20 meters, has traditionally been used to enrich soil, feed animals, produce oil, tan leather, make soap and lubricant – and even to treat skin and liver diseases. A consortium made from the Republic of Korea’s National Institute of Forest Science, scientists at the Center for International Forestry Research and Indonesia’s FORDIA are now turning to this fast-growing tree to address pressing climate needs, including bioenergy at a time where the need for energy is evergrowing.