Tree planted by King Charles III at SBC in 2017 exhibits steady growth, says researcher
KUCHING: The tree planted by Britain’s new monarch King Charles III has grown steadily since His Majesty’s last visit to Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) here five years ago.
The tree was planted on Nov 6, 2017 during a visit that was part of a royal tour to Singapore, Malaysia and India running from Oct 30 to Nov 9 that year.
In July this year during a tour at the centre’s proof-of-concept algae production facility, the British High Commissioner to Malaysia Charles Hay took the opportunity to view and take photos of the tree planted by His Majesty.
SBC research officer Tu Chu Lee said the tree, scientifically named ‘Hopea semicuneata Symington’, was last measured last year and at that time, it stood 3.3m tall.
“We can see that there’s growth; I believe this year, its height will reach almost 4m.
“Of course, we need to measure it first for the exact height,” he said when met by The Borneo Post at SBC here yesterday.
Also known as ‘Luis Batu Jantan’, the Hopea semicuneata Symington is a timber tree that can grow up to a height of 50m, and up to 2m in diameter.
This species can be found in Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and in Borneo – in Sarawak, it can be found in the mixed dipterocarp forests across Bintulu, Kapit and Lundu districts.
The tree is classified as an endangered species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
It is harvested for timber to be used as construction materials such as planks, beams and room support parts.
Records show that the Hopea bark has been used for many years by the natives in Sarawak in making local wine.
It is said that the bark helps in the fermentation process, possibly by inhibiting excessive or unwanted microbial growth that could lead to spoilage.