Dita » Balinghasai Farms

Specimen : Wild and semi-domesticated trees

Specimen height : 20-30 meters

Habitats : In open woodlands, coastal thickets and along natural waterways

Local name : Dita

Trade name : Devil tree, Milkwood, White cheesewood, Milky pine

Botanical name : Alstonia scholaris

Family : Apocynaceae

Traits : Drought tolerant; Emergent tree; Evergreen; Fast growing; Low to medium altitude tree; Medium to large tree; Salt spray tolerant; Shade tolerant; Tolerant of infertile soil; Tolerant of occasional water-logging

Recommendations : Boundary marker; Coastal stabilization; Erosion control; Farms; Large avenues; Large gardens; Living fence; Mangrove management; Ornamental tree; Paper & pulp tree plantations; Pioneer species for reforestation purposes; Public spaces; Riparian management; Roadside tree; Shade tree; Specimen tree; Timber belt; Urban greening; Wildcrafting; Windbreak

Used for : Latex are made into chewing gum; Fiber are obtained from the bark; Inflorescence yields essential oil; Sap from the bark is used as tonic, vermifuge and anti-malarial drug; Latex and leaves are also medicinal; Wood for interior work, veneer, plywood, wooden crates, bowls, food containers, boxes and shoes, coffins, chalkboards, small wooden items, buoys or floats and carving; Pulpwood; Fuelwood

Native range : India, Sri Lanka, China, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines), New Guinea, Australia and neighboring islands

National conservation status : Not threatened

Possible threats : Clearing of woodlands for agricultural, commercial or residential use; Forestry logging

(Note : The wood is made into chalkboards and slates used for school hence the epithet “scholaris”)