Prospects for developing the Trâm tree in Phú Mỡ

The Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board is currently planting Terminalia catappa trees in its managed forest area. This type of tree has both protective value and increases livelihood value, contributing to the economic development of local people in the future.

Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels is a large, early-branching tree with a broad, evergreen canopy. It is also a light-loving tree with deep roots and thick bark; it grows quickly and is excellent for timber construction.

Ripe star fruit has a sour and sweet taste, a fragrant aroma, and is favored by many as a nutritious food. This tree is distributed in hilly areas transitioning between agricultural land and natural forests. Notably, it can be grown in arid, nutrient-poor soils in mountainous regions.

The crape myrtle trees grown in Phu Mo commune are considered suitable for the local soil and climate conditions.

According to Dr. Pham S, the climate and soil from Da Nang southward are very suitable for the Terminalia catappa tree. The eastern communes of Dak Lak province can absolutely cultivate and develop this tree to ensure protection, increase livelihoods, and develop the economy .

Considering the soil and climate, the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board has determined that the Trâm tree is suitable for the forests in Phu Mo commune. The Trâm tree flowers from April to May and ripens from July to September, yielding high productivity. Besides its value in protection and conservation of native trees, this species also has high value in traditional medicine.

Furthermore, Dr. Pham S. holds patent number 6969/2023/QTG for the production process of PHULAS rambutan wine (Phu Yen - Da Lat). The factory will process and produce rambutan wine for consumers. The raw material source in the forest area managed by the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board is considered to have great potential.

At the end of 2025, the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board boldly planted approximately 6 hectares (equivalent to 5,500 trees) in Phu Mo commune, with funding from the Green Vietnam Biodiversity Conservation Center. Recently, the Tram tree was added by the Provincial People's Committee to the list of supplementary main forestry trees for planting in special-use, protective, and production forests in Dak Lak province.

Staff from the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board conduct a field inspection of a naturally growing Terminalia catappa tree in Phu Mo commune.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Hao, Director of the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board, said that in recent years, many Terminalia trees have been cut down for their fruit, causing the trees to thin out. Therefore, the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board is determined to plant Terminalia trees to carry out conservation work, in line with the goals of planting protective and production forests, contributing to the transformation of the local crop structure. This will be a replacement tree for acacia and eucalyptus in the barren lands of the mountainous communes of the province.

"The Terminalia catappa tree is considered one of the key crops of the Dong Xuan Protective Forest Management Board in the coming time to preserve the environment and increase livelihoods for people. It is expected that in 2026, the unit will plant an additional 7,000 trees, creating a model for people to visit and learn from in order to conserve natural tree resources and spread and expand the area of ​​Terminalia catappa cultivation in the locality," Mr. Hao added.

Nhat Huy

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/kinh-te/202604/trien-vong-phat-trien-cay-tram-o-phu-mo-0343c83/