Madeira mahogany
Persea indica
Family · Lauraceae · Irritating
The laurel relative that gives itself away from afar by its old leaves: before falling they turn an intense bright red, and there are always one or two burning in the middle of the crown's dark green.
Oak woods · Uplands · Streams and ditches
Also known asIndian persea
How to tell it
Large, elongated, leathery leaves clustered at the branch ends, bluish beneath. Old leaves turn scarlet before falling, which is the easiest mark and visible all year. Oval dark blue fruits seated on a fleshy reddish calyx. Range: Madeira, the Canaries and the Azores.
What it is confused with
No dangerous lookalikes known in the Iberian Peninsula.
What it is for
The wood is golden, hard and among the most valuable in Macaronesia, used in furniture and in the ceilings of Madeiran churches. Historical logging greatly reduced the populations. The fruits are not eaten.