Cultivation
Ecuador supplies 95 percent or more of commercial balsa. In recent years, about 60 percent of the balsa has been plantation grown in densely packed patches of around 1000 trees per hectare (compared to about two to three per hectare in nature). It is evergreen, or dry-season deciduous if the dry season is long, with large (30–50 cm/12–20 in) weakly palmately lobed leaves. Trees are classified as hardwood because of the shape of their leaves, so balsa, with its large, broad leaves is classified as hardwood despite being very soft. It is the softest commercial hardwood. The trees are harvested after six to 10 years of growth. The name balsa comes from the Portuguese word for "raft".
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