Millettia Pinnata - Uses

Uses

M. pinnata is well-adapted to arid zones and has many traditional uses. It is often used for landscaping purposes as a windbreak or for shade due to the large canopy and showy fragrant flowers. The flowers are used by gardeners as compost for plants requiring rich nutrients. The bark can be used to make twine or rope and it also yields a black gum that has historically been used to treat wounds caused by poisonous fish. The wood is said to be beautifully grained but splits easily when sawn thus relegating it to firewood, posts, and tool handles.

While the oil and residue of the plant are toxic and will induce nausea and vomiting if ingested, the fruits and sprouts, along with the seeds, are used in many traditional remedies. Juices from the plant, as well as the oil, are antiseptic and resistant to pests. In addition M. pinnata has the rare property of producing seeds of 25–40% lipid content of which nearly half is oleic acid. Oil made from the seeds, known as honge oil, is an important asset of this tree and has been used as lamp oil, in soap making, and as a lubricant for thousands of years.

Long used as shade tree, M. pinnata is heavily self-seeding and can spread lateral roots up to 9m over its lifetime. If not managed carefully it can quickly become a weed leading some, including Miami-Dade County, to label the tree as a invasive species. However this dense network of lateral roots makes this tree ideal for controlling soil erosion and binding sand dunes.