Family: Fabaceae

A large tree growing up to 100 feet tall. Native to South East Asia and Indonesia, Nara is the national tree of the Philippines. In Hawai’i, Nara was once voted as one of the top 5 best trees for shade.

Semi-deciduous, the leaves fall for a brief time before new growth take hold. During the leafless time the Nara flowers, filling the bare crown yellow with pleasant-smelling yellow flowers. They are shaped like small pea flowers with petals. Following flowers come brown disk-shaped fruits. They resemble a flying saucer with the seed in the middle and a paper-like doughnut surrounding. Adapted to wind dispersal, they fly easily in the wind.

Start Nara by seed. Collect fresh from the ground after they fall. Remove the seed from within and plant in soil.

The wood is excellent for woodworking and has a rose-like scent. It is used for woodworking to make fine furniture. The wood resembles teak with the tones of red, black yellow and/or white.

Plant Uses:

• Fragrant
• Medicinal
• Nitrogen fixer
• Ornamental
• Shade
• Specimen
• Woodworking

Plant Dangers:

• No dangers

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized beyond native range (Puerto Rico, Cuba, Trinidad, Christmas Island)
  
• Broad climate versatility (0–1300 m elevation; tropical/subtropical)
  
• Repeated introductions outside native range
  
• Host for pests/pathogens (e.g., stem borer Aristobia horridula)
  
• Nitrogen-fixing (alters soil nutrients)
  
• Self-compatible (can set seed from single tree)
  
• Propagules dispersed intentionally (planted ornamentally/for forestry)
  
• Wind-dispersed (winged pods)
  
• Water-dispersed (pods float)
  
• Tolerates mutilation, fire, coppicing (regrows after logging or fire)

Low Risk Traits:

• No congeneric weeds
  
• No spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• No allelopathy or parasitism
  
• Not toxic to animals or humans
  
• Requires specialist pollinators (large bees)
  
• No vegetative spread in wild
  
• Long minimum generative time (~4+ years)
  
• No unintentional dispersal (no attachment structures)
  
• Not bird-dispersed; no gut survival
  
• Low seed production (few seeds per pod)