Limba (Terminalia superba), also known as White Afara, Frake, or Korina, is a large deciduous tropical tree of West and Central Africa, valued for its attractive pale to golden-brown wood that has been a staple of the European furniture and guitar-making industry for over a century. A member of the Combretaceae family, this fast-growing tree can reach 45 m in height and is one of the most important commercial timber species in Africa.
• One of the most commercially significant African timber species
• The wood is famously known as "Korina" in the guitar-making industry
• A fast-growing pioneer species that colonizes disturbed forest areas
• Wood color can vary dramatically from pale yellow to dark brown with black streaks ("Black Limba")
• Named after the city of Sapele is not correct; Limba is its own distinct species
• Distributed from Guinea and Sierra Leone eastward through Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Found in semi-deciduous and moist deciduous forests, from sea level to approximately 800 m
• Occurs primarily in areas with annual rainfall of 1,200-2,500 mm and a pronounced dry season
• A light-demanding pioneer species that readily colonizes abandoned farmland and forest gaps
• One of the most abundant timber trees in the West African forest zone
• First described by the English botanists Engl. and Diels
• Widely planted in plantation forestry across West Africa
Trunk and Crown:
• Height: 30-45 m (occasionally reaching 50 m) with a tall, clean, cylindrical bole
• Trunk diameter: 60-150 cm, with well-developed buttresses in older trees
• Bark: pale gray to brownish-gray, smooth to slightly rough, peeling in thin flakes
• Crown: tiered and flat-topped, with branches arranged in whorls
• Deciduous, shedding leaves during the dry season
Leaves:
• Simple, alternate, crowded in terminal clusters, broadly elliptic to obovate
• 10-25 cm long and 5-12 cm wide
• Dark glossy green above, paler beneath, with prominent venation
• Leaves turn yellow to bronze before falling
Flowers:
• Small, creamy-white to pale yellow, arranged in axillary spikes 5-10 cm long
• Individual flowers are 3-4 mm long with 5 petals
• Insect-pollinated, primarily by bees and flies
Fruit:
• A flattened, ellipsoidal to ovoid drupe 3-5 cm long and 2-3 cm wide
• Green when immature, turning reddish-brown to dark brown at maturity
• Contains a single seed
• Dispersed by wind, water, and animals
• A classic light-demanding pioneer that colonizes forest gaps, roadsides, and abandoned agricultural land
• Produces large quantities of fruits dispersed by wind, water, and mammals
• One of the first large tree species to establish in secondary forest succession
• Flowers provide nectar for bees and other pollinating insects
• Fruits are consumed by various mammals including monkeys and bats
• Leaf litter decomposition enriches forest soils during the dry season
• Can form nearly pure stands in early secondary forest
• Roots stabilize soil and prevent erosion in disturbed areas
• Requires tropical conditions with annual rainfall of 1,200-2,500 mm
• Adaptable to a wide range of soil types from sandy to clay loams
• Propagation is by seed; fruits should be collected from the ground when fully ripe
• Seeds germinate within 2-4 weeks when planted in warm, moist conditions
• Seedlings grow rapidly, often exceeding 2 m in height in the first year
• Highly light-demanding; requires full sun for optimal growth
• Planting densities of 200-500 trees per hectare for timber production
• Rotation cycles of 15-25 years produce commercial-grade timber
• Coppices vigorously from cut stumps
• One of the most promising species for reforestation in degraded West African landscapes
Anecdote
The legendary Gibson Explorer and Gibson Flying V guitars, first introduced in 1958, were originally made from Limba wood marketed as "Korina." Guitarists prize Limba for its warm, resonant tone and medium weight. Original 1958 Korina guitars are now among the most valuable electric guitars in the world, with specimens selling for over $1 million at auction.
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