Teak Facts
Teak Facts
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| Interesting Teak Facts: |
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| Teak can reach 130 to 150 feet in height. It has strong trunk with wide base and large, spreading crown. |
| Teak produces reddish-green ovate or elliptical leaves with smooth edges. Leaves have rough texture and they are covered with hairs on the bottom side. Teak discards its leaves at the beginning of dry season. |
| Teak produces small, white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panicles) at the end of the branches. Flowers contain both types of reproductive organs (perfect flowers). |
| Teak blooms from June to August. Flowers emit pleasant smell which attracts bees, main pollinators of this plant. Wind also plays role in the pollination of flowers. |
| Fruit of teak is round drupe. It contains one stony seed embedded in fleshy pulp. Fruit ripens from September to December. |
| Teak propagates via seed, cuttings and grafting. Wildfires are the biggest threat for the survival of seed in the wild. |
| Teak is resistant to insects (such as termites), bacteria, mildew and fungi thanks to increased content of oily sap in the wood. Also, teak can withstand prolonged exposure to water (it does not rot). |
| Leaves of teak are used in human diet in South India, Java and Indonesia. |
| Teak has brownish-red hardwood of medium weight and average hardness. Items made of teak (that are not constantly exposed to wind, sun and rain) can last 1.000 years. |
| Beams made of teak can be found in centuries old palaces and temples in India and Myanmar. |
| Yellowish-brown timber of teak is used for the manufacture of ships (for decks and boat interior), furniture, carving, veneer, frames (for doors and windows), flooring, railway cars and venetian blinds. |
| 1/3 of globally produced teak originates from Myanmar. Indonesia, India and Thailand are the "second" biggest manufacturers of teak in the world. |
| Teak can be used in treatment of bacterial and fungal infections, ulcers (leaves), constipation, dysentery and vitiligo (wood), urinary tract disorders (root), bronchitis, nausea (flowers) and diabetes (bark). |
| Yellowish-brown and reddish-brown pigments extracted from the root and leaves of teak can be used for dyeing of paper and cloth. |
| Teak is perennial plant that can survive more than 200 years in the wild. Teak located in Uttaradit Province in Thailand is the oldest teak in the world, with estimated age of 1.500 years. |
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