Introduction to The British Gardener's website

Lonchocarpus violaceus

COMMON NAME

West Indian lilac, Spanish ash, and lancepod

TYPE

Tree

FAMILY

Fabaceae

NOTES

Evergreen tree with a fast-growing, dense canopy. Produces lilac-fragrant, lavender, showy flowers during the late summer/fall. Produces long, slender, seed pods. Typically 25-35ft in height. The leaves are reported to contain high concentrations of the poison Rotenone, a commonly used organic insecticide. They have a history of use by native people as a fish poison and are a potential source of compounds for the manufacture of Biopesticides.

GEOGRAPHIC REGION

Eastern Caribbean and northern parts of South America

NATIVE HABITAT

Dry limestone hills. Forests in calcareous soils with outcropping rocks

WEB SOURCES

wikipedia.org

iplantz.com



Lonchocarpus violaceus