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Brazilwood
Paubrasilia echinata
Reviewed by Kiersten Rankel M.S.
QUICK ANSWER
Fresh seed sown right after harvest is the most reliable method and germinates within 3 to 4 weeks.
Air layering of a pencil-thick branch roots over 4 to 6 months and gives a sapling that flowers years sooner than a seedling. Hardwood cuttings work occasionally but only succeed about 20 percent of the time, so seed and air layering are stronger choices.
Air layering of a pencil-thick branch roots over 4 to 6 months and gives a sapling that flowers years sooner than a seedling. Hardwood cuttings work occasionally but only succeed about 20 percent of the time, so seed and air layering are stronger choices.
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From seed
Best for growing many young trees from scratch
Air layering
Best for cloning a mature tree without losing it
Hardwood cuttings
Best as a backup when seed is unavailable
From seed
Time
3–4 weeks germination
Level
Beginner
Success rate
High
You'll need
Fresh seed pods collected at maturity
Bowl of warm water
Deep tree pots or 1-gallon containers
Well-draining tropical potting mix
Bright filtered light or partial shade
1
Harvest pods at the right moment
Collect the spiny seed pods after they turn brown but before they split open and eject the seed. Pods that have already opened on the tree usually mean the seeds are gone. Each pod contains one to four hard, oval seeds.
2
Crack open and clean
Break the pods open carefully because the spines are sharp. Pick out the seeds and discard any that are shriveled, hollow, or insect-damaged.
Viable seed is plump and dark brown. Brazilwood seed loses viability within 2 to 3 months of harvest, so sow soon after collection.
Viable seed is plump and dark brown. Brazilwood seed loses viability within 2 to 3 months of harvest, so sow soon after collection.
3
Soak for 24 hours
Drop seeds into a bowl of warm water and leave overnight. Plump seeds are ready to plant. Seeds that float after 24 hours are usually empty and can be discarded.
4
Sow 1 inch deep
Push each seed 1 inch deep into a deep tree pot or 1-gallon container filled with well-draining tropical mix. One seed per pot. Water in lightly.
5
Keep warm and bright
Set pots in bright filtered light at 75 to 85 degrees. Brazilwood is tropical and germinates poorly below 70. A sunny windowsill or covered patio in zone 10 to 12 works well. Keep the soil damp but never soggy.
6
Pot up at 12 inches
Once seedlings reach 12 inches tall, shift them into 3-gallon pots. Brazilwood develops a deep taproot quickly and resents being moved later. Plant out only after 2 years in containers and only in zones 10b and warmer.
WATCH FOR
Seeds rot before sprouting and a sour smell rises from the pot. The soil mix held too much water. Brazilwood seeds need consistent moisture but the mix must drain freely between waterings. Re-sow remaining seeds in chunkier mix amended with extra perlite, and water only when the top inch dries.
Air layering
Time
4–6 months
Level
Advanced
Success rate
Moderate
You'll need
Sterile sharp knife
Rooting hormone powder
Damp long-fiber sphagnum moss
Clear plastic wrap
Twist ties or electrical tape
Sterile pruners for severing
1
Pick a healthy branch
Choose a pencil to thumb-thick branch from last year's growth on a vigorous tree. The branch should be straight for at least 12 inches and located where you can reach it comfortably. Late spring after the first flush of growth is the right time.
2
Make a ring cut
About 18 inches back from the branch tip, score two parallel cuts around the bark, an inch apart. Slice through the bark and the green cambium layer underneath but stop at the woody core.
Peel the strip of bark off so a clean ring of bare wood is exposed. Scrape any green tissue off the wood to prevent the bark from healing back over.
Peel the strip of bark off so a clean ring of bare wood is exposed. Scrape any green tissue off the wood to prevent the bark from healing back over.
3
Apply rooting hormone
Dust the upper edge of the bare ring with rooting hormone powder. Brazilwood is moderately stubborn to root and the hormone matters. Without it, success rates drop to about 25 percent.
4
Wrap with damp sphagnum
Squeeze a fistful of long-fiber sphagnum moss until water just stops dripping. Pack the damp moss firmly around the wound, building a softball-sized ball that completely covers the bare wood and an inch above and below.
5
Seal with plastic
Wrap the moss tightly in clear plastic wrap and secure both ends with twist ties or electrical tape. The wrap must be airtight or the moss dries and roots fail. Check the wrap weekly for moisture, adding water with a syringe if it looks dry.
6
Sever and pot at 4 to 6 months
When you can see a thick web of roots through the plastic, cut the branch off just below the rooted ball with sterile pruners. Unwrap the plastic but leave the moss in place. Pot up in a 3-gallon container of tropical mix and keep in shade for 2 weeks before moving to bright light.
WATCH FOR
After 3 months, the moss is dry and you see no roots. The wrap leaked or sun on the dark plastic baked the inside dry. Inject 2 ounces of water through the plastic with a syringe, re-wrap with fresh tape, and shade the layer site with a paper bag clipped over the plastic. The branch can still root if the cambium has not desiccated.
Hardwood cuttings
Time
10–14 weeks
Level
Advanced
Success rate
Low
You'll need
Sterile sharp pruners
Rooting hormone powder
Deep nursery pots with drainage
Coarse sand and perlite mix
Clear humidity dome
Bottom heat mat
1
Take cuttings in late winter
Cut 8-inch sections of pencil-thick wood from the previous year's growth in February or March before bud break. Each cutting needs 3 to 4 nodes. Make the bottom cut just below a node and the top cut a half inch above one.
2
Treat with rooting hormone
Dip the bottom inch of each cutting in rooting hormone powder. Brazilwood is a hard-to-root woody species and hormone is required.
Without it, success drops to nearly zero. Even with hormone, expect about 20 percent of cuttings to root.
Without it, success drops to nearly zero. Even with hormone, expect about 20 percent of cuttings to root.
3
Stick in sand-perlite mix
Push each cutting two-thirds deep into a deep pot filled with coarse sand and perlite mixed in equal parts. The mix must drain freely because hardwood cuttings rot easily in standard potting soil. Firm the medium and water in lightly.
4
Cover with a dome
Place a clear humidity dome over the pot. Set on a heat mat at 80 degrees. Brazilwood is tropical and the rooting medium needs to stay warm even when the air is cool. Bright indirect light, never direct sun.
5
Mist weekly
Spritz the inside of the dome with water once a week to maintain humidity. Do not overwater the medium. The mix should feel barely damp at depth, not wet. Excess water at this stage is the leading cause of failure.
6
Test at 12 weeks
Give a gentle tug. Rooted cuttings resist. Pot up successes into 1-gallon containers and discard cuttings that pull free or have blackened stems. Grow on rooted cuttings in bright shade for 6 months before bumping up further.
WATCH FOR
Most cuttings turn black at the base within a month. That is rot from anaerobic conditions in the rooting medium. Brazilwood hardwood cuttings have a low ceiling on success. If the failure rate runs over 90 percent, switch to air layering or seed for this species. Do not keep retrying the same conditions.
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About This Article
Kiersten Rankel M.S.
Botanical Data Lead at Greg · Plant Scientist
Editorial Process
Propagation methods verified against Paubrasilia echinata growth data from Greg's botanical database, cross-referenced with USDA hardiness zone data and published horticultural research.
27+ Greg users growing this plant
USDA hardiness zones 10a–11b
Citations:
Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society