Michelia compressa
The Formasan michelia is renowned for its excellent wood quality. Its Chinese name comes from its reddish-brown heartwood with black stripes and a hard texture like stone. Due to its dense fibers, it does not produce debris when cut, making it a popular material for cutting boards since ancient times.
The Formasan michelia grows slowly, resulting in dense and durable wood. Beyond its practical applications in items like cutting boards, it is also highly valued for crafting exquisite furniture and carvings, thanks to its rich, deep color and intricate grain patterns, which are highly sought after by artisans. Due to its high market value, the Formasan michelia faces significant pressure from overharvesting in the wild. To protect this precious native Taiwanese tree species, relevant authorities have actively implemented conservation efforts, including habitat protection and artificial seedling cultivation, with the aim of ensuring the sustainable survival of the Formasan michelia in Taiwan's forests.
The flowering season for the Formasan michelia is around mid-January each year. When most plants are still dormant in the cold winter, the Formasan michelia quietly bloom with pale yellow or milky white flowers. Although the flowers are small, they give off a fresh and elegant fragrance. The flowers often grow singly in the leaf axils, and although there are not many of them, they are enough to add an elegant touch to the green leaves.
The Formasan michelia is mainly distributed in broadleaved forests at low to medium altitudes in Taiwan, and can be found from flatlands to mountainous areas at an altitude of approximately 1,800 meters. It prefers warm and humid environments and usually grows on well-drained hillsides or along stream valleys.