The tree is well known for its versatile timber. Its heartwood combines several qualities like termite and decay resistance, lightness and strength, drying without warping and splitting, easy workability and attractive appearance, making it one of the world finest timbers.
Tectona grandis, commercially called teak, teek, or teca, is one of the most cultivated broad-leaved tree species in tropics.
It natural distribution is from 25° to 9° North latitudes and 73° to 104° East longitudes, in two covering most of Myanmar, northern Thailand and a small part of northwest Laos.
Over the past 50 years it has been planted extensively both within its native range and in other tropical and subtropical regions in Asia, Africa and America.
Teak is also well established in the Indonesian island of Java and some of the smaller island to the east of Java where it is believed to have been introduced from India about 400 to 600 years ago and become naturalized.
The most favorable growth conditions for teak exist in those tropical climates which have a n annual precipitation of 1,250 – 1800 mm and a more or less uniform temperature with a minimum of 12° C and a maximum of 38° C.
Tectona grandis tress and teak forest have some importance from an ecological point of view. The fruits, seeds, bark and leaves are important food sources for birds and mammals which also use large trees for shade.
Teak is a well-known multipurpose timber and the most important furniture wood. Other common uses include shipbuilding, exterior construction, carving, turning, paneling and woodware.
The tree of Tectona grandis
