The Katmon tree blooms with lovely flowers. Its fruit is edible and its extracts can help cure various ailments. The tree also has other uses; it can be used a natural fence in gardens and is an important plant in agro forestry.

MANILA, Philippines -- The Katmon, scientifically known as Dillenia philippinensis, is a favorite tree among Filipino garden enthusiasts. It is endemic to the Philippines and can be used for urban greening. Its fruit is known as the Elephant apple. The Katmon grows in low to medium altitude forests throughout the Philippines. You’ll probably never find it in the uplands as it can never survive cold climates.

This is a medium sized evergreen tree that grows as high as 10 to 15 meters. Its trunk is erect and the branches usually start midway of the trunk. The tree is buttress-forming, evergreen, and shade tolerant. The bark is smooth with shallow fissures. The leaves are leathery, shining, ovate, elliptic or oblong-ovate, about 12 to 25 centimeters long, and coarsely toothed at the margins. Its flowers are white, large, showy, and about 15 centimeters in diameter with reddish pistils and stamens. The edible fruits are rounded, about six to eight centimeters in diameter, with large fleshy sepals tightly enclosing the true fruit.

The Katmon is valued for it edible fruits which contain a soft, fleshy, green, and edible pulp. The fruit, according to the food critics I know, tastes like sour apple. Its young shoots and flowers can also be used to flavor sinigang or fish soups. The fruit can also be used as a vegetable. Studies show that the extract from the fruit have anti-leukemia and anti-oxidant properties. It’s also a folk medicine; the acidic juice of the fruit, when mixed with sugar, or fruit decoction, can help remedy coughs. Fruit decoction can also be employed for cleansing the hair. Its sweetened fruit juice is also used as a cooling beveragefor fevers.

In Sabah, the tree’s young leaves or bark from the stem is pounded and applied as paste on swellings and wounds, or used as a laxative and astringent. Likewise, a red dye can be obtained from the tree bark. Katmon wood or lumber is used for a variety of purposes especially in construction, poles, interior works, furniture, boards and panels, veneers, and plywood.

New trees can be raised from seeds. The seedling thrives in semi-shaded areas, but it can be trained to grow under full sunlight. Seedlings need to be watered regularly until they grow into trees. They will benefit from a regular application of complete fertilizer for optimum growth.

The tree is recommended both for agro forestry and backyard planting.It can be used as a hedge or a living fence. Since it has white flowers, it can be planted as an ornamental tree for urban greening, especially in areas that are prone to floods.The Katmon can also withstand strong winds and can function as a windbreaker.