Sea Almond or Pagoda Tree

In January and February every year the beach areas of Miri are delightful to look at. The numerous Sea Almond trees begin to turn red and brown. It is as if autumn is in the air! The Sea Almond tree is fairly common in Sarawak. It grows wild as well as cultivated as a popular landscape tree. The tree has a characteristic pagoda shape because it sends out a single stem from the top centre. Thus it is often called Pagoda Tree by the locals. When the single stem reaches a good height, it sends out several horizontal branches. According to local folk lore when the tree has seven horizontal branches or layers a naughty "hantu" will inhabit the tree and causes mischief to the surrounding area. Some people even call it the hantu tree or ghost tree.  During the dry season, the leaves turn into autumn colours of red, copper, gold. The tree usually sheds all its leaves twice a year in January-February and July-August. The tree first drops its leaves when it reaches 3-4 years old.

Tree found near Taman Selera of Miri

The nuts are edible, taste like almonds and are eaten, although the flesh is troublesome to separate from the hard stone (Malays and some Pacific islanders). Unlike the commercial almond, the Sea Almond can be eaten raw. In South America, oil extracted from the dried nuts is edible and used in cooking.

Its timber is not widely used, but in some places where other suitable timber is lacking (e.g., islands), it is made into heavy-duty items like carts, wheels and posts. Tannin and a black dye can be extracted from the bark, leaves and fruit. In Singapore, it is a common wayside tree, planted to provide colour and shade.

Traditional medicinal uses:
Leaves, bark and fruits: dysentery (Southeast Asia); dressing of rheumatic joints (Indonesia, India).
Fruits and bark: coughs (Samoa), asthma (Mexico).
Fruits: leprosy, headaches (India),
Ripe fruits: travel nausea (Mexico)
Leaves: get rid of intestinal parasites (Philippines); treat eye problems, rheumatism, wounds (Samoa); stop bleeding during teeth extraction (Mexico), fallen leaves used to treat liver diseases (Taiwan), young leaves for colic (South America).
Juice of leaves: scabies, skin diseases, leprosy (India, Pakistan)
Bark: throat and mouth problems, stomach upsets and diarrhoea (Samoa); fever, dysentery (Brazil).
Modern research has identified some properties which could be used to treat high blood pressure.

Role in the habitat: Various species of biting and stinging ants have been found inhabiting hollow twigs of the tree. While the tree provides these creatures with a home, the ants in turn may protect the tree from insect predators. Fruit bats eat the husk of the fruit.